The Immortal
by Lady Razeli
Summary: Crossover: Voyager and Xena. Xena is a 4000 year old Immortal cursed by Ares to suffer for eternity and remain separated from her true love Hercules. Can Ares keep them apart now that she is lost in the Delta Quadrant?
1. Chapter 1

The Immortal

By

Lady Razeli

Disclaimer: I do not own Xena warrior princess or Star Trek Voyager

Lonely

"Eve, Solan," Xena sighed as she looked at the picture of her first daughter and the picture of her son. For years after she became immortal she had watched them grow and loved them from afar. Her curse was to never physically interact with them in person again, all so Gabrielle could finally live in peace, so they could live in peace. But she had been allowed to watch over and protect them. While her grandchildren saw her and talked to her Solan and Eve merely sensed her presence. They took comfort in each other and Xena was horrified as she watched them ride off into battle to protect their families and the innocent. By that time both of them were fairly old and their children nearly grown, they didn't stand a chance since they did not keep up with any of their warrior skills. Xena remembered whisking her grandchildren away quickly to Cornith where Hercules still remained. And they stayed close to her drawing off her immortality. One by one they broke off becoming mortal again as they married and had children. Xena found that she could now integrate herself into human life again, she had gained from them as well, but she never died. Over the years she had many children herself to starve off her loneliness after Ares prevented her from being with her family any more in the 1940s when she had been operating under the name of Janice Covington and meeting a descendant of Gabrielle's.

"Are those your kids?" Tom Paris asked. Xena looked up from her picture as she sat in the mess hall. No one had ever approached her voyager and she had been there since day one. Hell the captain probably didn't even know who she was. She had only approached a few people, but she was generally alone. Tom sat down ignoring her glare, which usually turned people away.

"They were, but they're dead," Xena told him. She'd had the opportunity to get a picture of them briefly in the eighties it had been an emotional experience for her.

"Oh I'm so sorry to hear that." Xena ate some of her soup. "So anymore children."

"Several, but they're all dead lots of grandchildren though." Tom of course didn't think anything of it. A lot of women were older than they appeared to be or were of a different species.

"What species?"

"Species 2358 as the borg called us."

"Oh I'm sorry is that how your children died." Xena shook her head.

"If you don't mind my asking what happened with the Borg?"

"I don't mind," Xena said. "We were in the middle of a civil war my first two children had already been born and were grown and had grandchildren. My two children decided that going to battle was best to help protect their family and the innocent. They were killed in the civil war, I took my grandchildren in and we headed for earth as a vacation. We were about twenty thousand light years away when my mother sent word of the attack. Rather than be assimilated by the borg my entire species committed mass suicide. Blew our entire planet off the map, it was M-class, so my grandchildren and I we settled on earth. I had other kids over the years, but my children aren't blessed with my super long life."

"How old are you exactly?"

"Now Lieutenant Paris, I wouldn't dare think of giving you anymore information, I've already been a little too open with you." Xena stood up. "I bet you don't even know my name."

"Of course I do its, its…." Xena shook her head and left. B'Elanna Torres joined him.

"Why were you talking to her?" B'Elanna asked.

"Well I was trying to get to know her, since I have no idea who she is. I've always seen her sitting alone and never talking to anyone. No one knows her. Who is she?"

"Alanna Tudor, she's next in line to be chief engineer. Very quiet and knows more about the borg technology than Icheb and Seven combined. She's a very skilled engineer, and I hate to admit it but she probably knows more than I do. She's actually really nice if you can get pass the glares, of course naturally I don't back down so we've been to the holodecks together and she is fierce in battle especially with a Bat'leth." Tom grinned at B'Elanna appreciation for Alanna's warrior skills.

"What else do you know about her?"

"Um…one time when the doctor was offline and Kes was unconscious she single handedly helped everyone even did major surgery on one of the security guards and got the doctor back online all before the Captain found out."

"Wow she sounds pretty amazing."

"Yeah, now her and the doctor have weekly holodeck meetings."

"For what?" Tom asked.

"Opera and any other form of music. But she's not into being noticed and wants to go about generally unknown so we don't talk about her."

"Why the secrecy and what does Species 2358 stand for?" B'Elanna shrugged.

"She never told me."

Meanwhile Xena returned to her sleeping quarters reading over some codes for engineering as she drank her tea. She sighed as she looked at the box she had pulled out of storage earlier that day. She set her pad down along with tea before she sat on her couch and opened the box. Lately she had been struck with the urge to reproduce yet again. She sighed every century, decade, or occasionally over a period of a couple of years her biological clock would start ticking.

"Well we're going to be out here for years anyway." She noted that everything was still in perfect order with baby clothes for boys and girls. She placed the top back on and moved it to a corner for later use. Xena had the reproductive pace of a God, she was looking at two months of pregnancy. She went back to reading the codes, she would bring up the idea for invitro to the doctor the next day when she had time.

_Engineering to Lieutenant Tudor, I need you down here." _

"I'm on my way," Xena replied. She finished off her tea and hurried to engineering.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Odd your DNA appears to be human," the doctor said to Xena. Xena stood up and went over to his control panel. She erased the findings from his memory and took the sample. "Lieutenant I'm afraid you're going to have to ask the Captain about your pregnancy since you do not have partner." Xena nodded.

"I'll return than." Xena left as the doctor nodded. Xena headed straight for the bridge. 

"Lieutenant," Commander Chakotay greeted. 

"Commander," Xena greeted. 

"We're still on for that hunting trip aren't we?" He asked as he typed something. 

"Definitely, I hope you can handle it." They grinned at each other. "Is the captain in her ready room?" He nodded.

"Go ahead and knock on her door." Xena nodded as she headed for the door and rang the bell. 

"Come in," Captain Kathryn Janeway answered as she drank her coffee. Xena entered and let the door shut behind her as she stood in front of the Captain. "I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting." Xena nodded her head. 

"No, Captain we haven't had the luxury of meeting face to face. I am Lieutenant Alanna Tudor." Kathryn nodded. 

"Well what brings you to my ready room?" Kathryn asked with a kind smile as she turned her full attention on Xena. 

"Well as it so happens my biological clock is ticking and with no mate, I wanted to have invitro. The doctor said that I would have to run it by you." Kathryn's smiled widened. 

"Please by all means go right ahead with the procedure its about time we had more children besides Naomi Wildman and Icheb around here. Not to mention B'Elanna already has one on the way." Xena smiled. 

"Thank you Captain." 

"Uh Lieutenant where is it that you work?"

"Engineering Captain, I'm next in line for Head Engineer, thanks again Captain." Xena left out before anymore could be inquired. Kathryn called in Chakotay. 

"I see you've met the infamous Alanna." 

"Yes, yes I have." 

"Did she turn her temper on you?" Chakotay asked. "No, I suppose not you're not in tears, you don't look angry, she didn't look angry at all, and I didn't hear yelling. Things must have ended well and on a good note." 

"Yes, they did, but how is it that she is next in line as head engineer and I have no idea who she is." 

"Well Captain you're not the first or the last person to know nothing about Alanna, she keeps a low profile." 

"Yes, but I didn't even know her on sight." 

"Wow that's less than everyone else on this ship. A few people have crossed her path one too many times. She gives B'Elanna a run for her money, I think she's closer to her than me. I was surprised she didn't bite off Paris's head yesterday at lunch." 

"Commander Chakotay you're need on deck five," Tuvok told him over the intercom. 

"All right I'll be right there." Chakotay left out and Kathryn called B'Elanna to her ready room. 

"What can you tell me about Lieutenant Tudor?" Kathryn asked. B'Elanna shrugged. 

"Just that she's a great person and very qualified engineer." Kathryn nodded. She went to everyone asking their opinion of Alanna. A lot of people described her as quiet but very intelligent or had the same exact words as B'Elanna still there were others who had crossed paths with her temper, and they called her mean and much more. 

"Don't judge her until you've actually spent time with her," Chakotay told Kathryn two months later as they sat on the bridge. 

"I know, but isn't it strange that no one knows which quarters are her's, her shift duty until she's on it, and no one knows her exact location. If I'm told she's the mess hall by the time I get there Neelix will either say he hasn't seen her or she left an hour before if he's even thinking of the right person." Chakotay laughed. 

"No, its not strange, no one can ever find Alanna unless she wants to be found." 

"Why?" Chakotay shrugged. 

"A gift I suppose, but I'm meeting her tonight for dinner in Paris, why don't you come along." 

"No thanks Chakotay I couldn't intrude on your date." Chakotay and Tom Paris laughed. 

"No one dates Alanna," They said together. Tom through B'Elanna had gotten to know Alanna much better and even joined them in sparring. 

"Call a senior staff meeting now," Kathryn said annoyed that her senior officiers knew more than she did and weren't telling her a thing. 

"Okay so why is it that all of you know her?" Kathryn asked. 

"Well the doctor and I found her to be an excellent musician and singer," Harry Kim told his captain. "When our free time matches up we all head to the holodeck for a concert or she practices with me. She really can play the Clarinet, but her gift is on the cello I think." 

"No, her gift is her voice," the doctor said. "But if we must talk about musical instruments I'd say it was piano." Harry was about to argue with Kathryn interrupted. 

"Save it for later," Kathryn told them and they nodded with a promise in their eyes. 

"And you B'Elanna, Tom?" 

"Engineering we hit it off right away because we were both the two most unbearable females to be around until we softened up a bit towards the crew. We bonded over our mutual tempers and warrior skills." 

"Warrior skills?" Kathryn asked. 

"Yeah," Tom answered. "She's really fierce I couldn't even get a hit on her, B'Elanna can though, but I guess that's because she's been sparring with her for a long time. I've just recently gotten to know her though, so I really couldn't say much except she's a very private person." 

"Seven, what do you know?" 

"I hate to say it, but she knows things about the borg I didn't know. She's actually very helpful in astrometrics and was a lot of help building it, but asked not to be mentioned at all in her role. She also tutors Icheb in genetics." 

"You know we meditate once a week," B'Elanna said. 

"Yes, she's suggested it more than once to me for centering myself and focusing when I'm feeling out of place or just weird." 

"It helps when I'm angry," B'Elanna replied.

"It just helps in general," Chakotay said. "Have you ever been in the ancient Greece program so peaceful." They nodded. 

"Hey stop with side conversations talk to me here, Tuvok, what do you know?" 

"Well upon realizing that I knew less than you Captain I looked up Lieutenant Alanna Tudor in the database. Her family dates back to the beginning of Starfleet history. The first Tudor was Alanna Tudor, who looks just like our Alanna. After Alana several of her children, grandchildren, grandchildren's children followed. It seems that our Alanna is probably one of those grandchildren. 

"What kind of species breeds that fast. I mean every generation has at least one look alike of her." 

"Species 2358," Seven of Nine answered. 

"Been meaning to ask, what are they called, like we're called humans," Tom said. Seven of Nine shrugged. Seven of Nine sighed she hated not knowing the answer to things.

"I know that species 2358 committed a mass suicide destroying the planet and half a fleet of Borg ships before they could be completely scanned. Their technology was very advanced." 

"Okay so how is it that you six get in touch with Lieutenant Tudor?" 

"Well we have a set time to meet on a certain day or days," Kim said. 

"When she's on shift with me, we usually end about the same time and we head straight for the holodecks." 

"I just leave a message on her intercom or email inbox." 

"I usually join B'Elanna," Tom told his Captain. 

"She stops by to see me once a day," The doctor said. 

"Has she come yet?" Kathryn asked. The doctor shook his head. "I'm coming with you to wait than." Kathryn turned to her crew. "Meeting adjourned and we will talk about you all keeping secrets later." 

"Captain we haven't kept any secrets." 

"Yes, you have, all I've heard is the same thing from all of you, and that is that she's intelligent and multitalented, wonderful to be around, or can be horrible to be around. Just like everyone else on this ship." 

"But that's all we know to be honest, subjects like her family and past our taboo with her. You can't just ask you have to hope she offers it up for you to hear," B'Elanna told her. " And I've been her friend for the five years we've been on this ship and heard only one tale." 

"And that was?" 

"Very private captain, I don't wish to break her trust." 

"You're all dismissed." 

"Doesn't she tell the most wonderful stories?" Harry asked as they all walked out of the meeting room. 

"I've never heard one," Tom commented. 

"Oh you should," B'Elanna told him. "Maybe if we go to one of those pubs after dinner in Paris she'll spin a few." 

"Commander!" Chakotay stopped and turned around. 

"Yes Captain?" Chakotay asked. 

"I think I will join you all for dinner in Paris, I want her in her own element." Chakotay nodded. 

"Okay, I'll make reservations for eight." 

"Make that nine Commander," Tuvok said. Chakotay nodded. Tom back in. 

"Come on Chakotay we have to get ready, simply can't go to dinner in our work clothes." Chakotay nodded and hurried after Tom. 

"Tuvok?" Kathryn answered. 

"Seeing the way everyone seems to love Lieutenant Tudor, I thought it would be best that I come along so as to keep a clear head in the situation. " Kathryn nodded. 

"Well Tuvok it seems we have to get ready for this dinner, so let's go." Tuvok was the only one to arrive in his Starfleet uniform. 

"Where is everyone Mr. Kim?" Tuvok asked. 

"Oh well the girls are getting ready we're just waiting for them to arrive." Chakotay entered followed by Tom. 

"Harry the doctor says he won't be able to make it so we'll have to find something else to entertain us," Chakotay laughed. "Before dinner that is." 

"Its cool I've got back up laser tag, dinner than the pub," Harry said as he worked at the computer. The door opened again and a radiant and pregnant Xena walked through. Kathryn was amazed that despite her stomach, her basic shape was the same. Kathryn was surprised until she remembered Xena's request nearly two months ago. 

"Hey guys, Captain, Lieutenant Tuvok." She had been warned a head of time that they were coming. She wore a lovely blue dress that hugged all her curves and her stomach. 

"Lieutenant," They greeted. 

"Lieutenant didn't I approve this just two months ago?" Kathryn asked. 

"Yes, it's almost time for her to be born." 

"Ah so it's a girl." 

"That's what I think it is. I won't let the doctor tell me." B'Elanna and Seven walked in all dressed. "So I heard something about laser tag just before I entered." They laughed and soon they were all standing together in full laser tag uniform. Everyone scattered quickly except Kathryn and Tuvok. 

"Tuvok I think we had better run as well." Tuvok nodded and soon even Kathryn was enjoying the game of laser tag as she was no longer sure who she was shooting at. 

"Game!" Xena announced as she fired at the Captain and hit her mark. She had already taken Tuvok out. The scene disappeared and they were all in a very nice Paris restaurant in the forties.

"Xena you're good, I don't know, how you win," Tom told her as they were led to their table. Kathryn and Tuvok were confused and they explained how the game was played and who they were shooting at. 

"You have to get hit at least five times before you're forced to sit and wait in submission. I got taken out by Alanna almost immediately." Everyone laughed at B'Elanna. 

"Its okay at least you didn't get taken out by the Captain and she had no idea how to play," Chakotay commented as they laughed some more. 

"I actually thought you might beat me for a moment there Captain," Xena lied. She always knew she was going to win. "So what brings you to Paris?" 

"Let's save talk for after we've ordered," Chakotay suggested. Everyone nodded. Xena easily ordered in French as did B'Elanna." 

"B'Elanna since when do you speak French?" 

"French lessons from Alanna during engineering." 

"You give a lot of lessons around here," Kathryn commented as their food was brought to them instantly since it was appearing from the mess hall. Everyone had started with light soup or salad.

"Yes, I try and be useful." 

"So I'm going to get to the point, what is species 2358, why can no one ever find you, and why does everyone have more or less the same opinion of you." 

"I'm species 2358 and I don't know I've never been an easy person to find even as a baby, and I suppose the opinion about me must true for them all to form the same one." 

"Tell me how long have you been in Starfleet?" 

"A long time." 

"How old are you?" 

"By your calendar I'm twenty-eight." 

"And by yours." 

"Very old." It had been four thousand years since she had been born. She was a half-God true enough and after having to take ambrosia to come back to life she had unknowingly become immortal. The real trouble hadn't started until things got really bad. 

"What makes you different from humans?" Tuvok asked. "You look human to me." 

"How fast I reproduce and my life span."

"How fast do you reproduce?" Kathryn asked. 

"Two months at the minimum, but sometimes children are stubborn and don't want to be born." 

"How fast will she grow?" 

"Don't worry, human DNA has greatly slowed down her growth rate and shortened her life." They all laughed as they sipped cider instead of wine and ate. Dinner was pleasant as they talked about stuff going on in voyager. 

"So Alanna where does your family come from?" 

"Greece more recently our home planet was destroyed." 

"Do you have human DNA." 

"No." 

"But if your planet was destroyed." 

"There are others who are part of Species 2358 you just have to find them. I'm tired, I need to rest, I'll see you guys tomorrow." Xena stood up and left the holodeck. 

"So much for a story tonight." 

"I'll go back sure she's all right, she's been tired a lot lately." 

"Its probably nearly time, you had better convince her to let you stay around," Chakotay told her. B'Elanna nodded and hurried after her. 

"Captain we told you, you'll never get answers by asking besides we've found that her stories are actually a lot more informative about her family history." 

"Really?" 

"Really." 

"Alanna wait up!" B'Elanna called. Xena stopped and let her catch up. "I'm sorry about the Captain, she's just not use to knowing so little about people." 

"She barely knows a lot about you," Xena shot back. They remained silent until they got back to her quarters. They sat down and drank tea.

"The Captain won't rest until she feels like she knows you though," B'Elanna told her. 

"Oh yeah, that'll go over well when I tell her that I'm really four thousand years old, and that half the people they think our my grandchildren are my children now deceased." 

"I don't get it, Xena," B'Elanna said using her real name. 

"Get what?" Xena asked glad she had let B'Elanna, Chakotay, and Harry in on the whole secret. She knew she could trust them and the doctor would insist on telling the Captain which is why none of them recommended telling him. Seven was curious, but she never asked questions preferring to be called Annika at times outside of work she didn't question when they called her Xena. 

"Why you put yourself through motherhood knowing you're going to lose them one day." Xena shrugged. I guess because it's the closest thing I can have to a relationship at times. But mostly its because I never get to be a mother, something always separates us. Sometimes death after birth or around the time they're teenagers they just vanish after shunning me. The next time I see them I've got several grandchildren and they're on their deathbed, but believe me I keep looking until I know for sure they're gone. I'm lucky in the fact that I can make myself known to my grandchildren, but only from afar, a letter here and there. They're very aware of me and I connect my families of grandchildren to each other. Especially the orphaned ones I watch over them constantly. I can't imagine the trouble that's befallen them now, I haven't seen them in five years, but luckily my favorite granddaughter still lives and she contacts me with messages now that we have the ability." 

"And what about Gabrielle's family?" B'Elanna asked. 

"I've watched over them too. They know me less, but occasionally one or two has seen me around. Annika and her mother were the only two I couldn't save, it always did bother me, but now that Annika is back safe and sound even slowly assimilating back into human culture it's a load off." 

"How many grandchildren do you have living?" 

"Um before that accident more than a hundred. After that accident, just my favorite granddaughter and her beautiful daughters. She was in the Beta quadrant and her children were spending the day with me in the Alps, they were young immune to the powers that kept me away. I suppose now they're nearly in their teens. She had to hold a massive funeral for the old and young of our dear family. We Tudors were very powerful it was devastating if you remember." 

"Oh yes, that's right, I remember seeing that. It was horrible watching entire families of the same family being buried week after week, that was a large family." Xena nodded. 

"I'm sure others got away, but I haven't located them yet." B'Elanna nodded. 

"Do you think this time will be different?" B'Elanna asked. 

"I hope so." 

"Do you ever hope that your children will be different from you?" 

"I told you my children are different, they can die and live a relatory normal life. But I understand where you're coming from and I learned a long time ago that a child is their own person. They may take away a few of your characteristics, but that does not mean they will go through the same thing you did unless some outside force is responsible. Your daughter is going to be beautiful and loving. If she has your temper so what, it's a family trait. The best you can do is teach her to be more in control than you ever were." B'Elanna smiled. 

"You always know what to say, don't you?" B'Elanna asked. Xena shrugged. 

"I learned from the best." They were hit by a huge blast. 

"What the hell is going on?" B'Elanna asked as they straightened up and sat their cups of tea down, which had spilled.

"I don't know we had better get to engineering." They both hurried off for engineering as the ship was struck again. 

"Borg," Xena and B'Elanna said as they looked at the screen and began to work. Xena scanned their shields. 

"Alanna to Seven of nine." 

"Seven here." 

"If you re-configure the torpedo to match their shields you can break through easily. Change them to 1.66." 

"Understood." There was a loud blast as red alert was called. Everyone was now at their battle stations if they weren't before. 

"Our thrusters are offline!" B'Elanna told Xena. 

"I'm on it." Xena worked hard to get the thrusters back online, but that's when her child decided it was the ideal time to come. 

"Ensign get her to sick bay now!" He nodded and helped Xena. 

"I'll be back don't have all the fun without me," Xena called as she groaned. They were hit again and they both went into the wall. 

"Ow!" 

"Ensign to sickbay." 

"Doctor here." 

"Doctor two to beam to sick bay now its an emergency." 

"Ensign you're suppose to call the teleporter….oh nevermind two to sickbay." A blast occurred again and soon they had both disappeared and reappear in sick bay. 

"Alanna you're in labor," the Doctor said scanning. 

"Really doctor, I hadn't noticed," Xena said gritting her teeth through another hit to the ship and contraction. They helped her to the biobed where surgery was usually done, but was now being used as as a birthing table. Xena had been laboring for twenty minutes when B'Elanna joined her. After it was announced that perhaps more people should get pregnant, unfortunately the attack was now resulting in possible miscarriage of some of those women. B'Elanna and Xena were the only two at full term or near it. 

"Breath," The doctor instructed as he ran around with no help. 

"Oh my God, it is coming," B'Elanna told the doctor. Xena got down and helped B'Elanna to the bed she had been laying on, her child was stubborn and would be awhile. 

"What are you doing?" B'Elanna asked. 

"I was a midwife now push," Xena instructed as she took deep breaths. B'Elanna did as she was told wanting her agony and pain to be over. Soon she was holding a beautiful baby girl and giving orders. Xena had to help Seven of nine and somehow between that and the pain she managed to give birth to a baby boy. The doctor quickly replicated a baby biobed for him. 

"Doctor I think I'm going to need another one." He nodded. After that she pushed out twin girls. She lay back breathing hard as Seven asked her something. 

"Seven, I don't think Lieutenant Tudor can answer any more questions right now." Kathryn walked in. 

"Doctor how soon can you have B'Elanna and/or Alanna up again." 

"Captain, they just gave birth." 

"I know, but that'll mean nothing if my two best engineers can't get us out of here. Tom ran in and was delighted with his daughter. 

"I can do it now Captain," B'Elanna said as they were hit again. Xena nodded as well as she looked over her beautiful children. 

"Take good care of them doctor, they're all I have." 

"I will but Lieutenant Torres, Tudor I really don't recommend you getting up." 

"Doctor you have more serious patients to attend too, we'll come back." Tom helped B'Elanna and Kathryn gave Xena hand. She would stop being sore in a couple of days. Between her and B'Elanna engineer had order again and they managed to get the thrusters online at least before starting on the warp core. Xena had to head to astrometrics though and soon she had destroyed the Borg as they put as much room between them and the borg as possible with only thrusters. Unfortunately that meant spending a week fighting off Borg. The last one was a sphere and to Xena's great distress caused the death of her children. She made sure she annihilated them in the next blast. They took the time to search for materials and new technology. 

"I'm so sorry for your loss," Kathryn told her as they watched the bodies being cremated. Xena couldn't stand to think of their bodies floating out into space. 

"Yes, so am I," Xena replied wiping her tears before leaving out. B'Elanna brought the ashes later. 

"How is Miral?" Xena asked noting B'Elanna's daughter on a sling, who immediately regretted bringing her. 

"She's fine now thanks to you, I'm only sorry…" Xena held up a hand. 

"Don't , I'm use to it now really I put their memory away with the others." B'Elanna knew better than to believe that she would be okay. The baby bed was still in its place and moments ago she had been looking through the drawer she had placed the clothes in. "There will be other children and one day I will get to love them and they me." B'Elanna nodded. They sat in silence, but she left when Miral became fussy. Xena left after a few moments. She was on bridge duty for B'Elanna. 

"Alanna you're welcome to take time to yourself." 

"No thanks Captain, I'll take time off when we're safe. Besides you need all of your engineers on hand." Kathryn nodded. 

"Uh…Captain there's a ship approaching," Harry said. 

"It appears to be a Delta flyer Captain and I am detecting a Borg ship following it." 

" We didn't send out anyone in the Delta flyer, did we?" 

"No, Captain, I was just in there, they're all accounted for," Tom told her. 

"We'd better give who ever is in the flyer a hand than." Kathryn nodded. 

"Red alert all hands on deck." Everything went dark and flashed red as an alarm went off. Xena remained calm the thrill of battle would usually be pulsing in her veins right now, but the loss of her children yet again was much too recent. However she was more than happy to destroy yet another Borg ship. 

"The delta flyer is hailing," Tom announced. 

"On screen." Xena was surprised to see the face of Hercules the lost love of her life. Ares had put galaxies between them after all. To her horror she saw he was horribly wounded and so was his flyer. 

"Please help, I am not a threat, help me." The screen turned off just as he passed out. 

"Captain I can beam him to sickbay and his flyer to the docking bay." 

"Do it." Xena nodded. She did it, but unfortunately the rogue cube now had its sights on them. 

"Captain this cube it does not have its shields up." 

"Seven of nine what can you tell us about this cube?" 

"There doesn't seem to be anyone in complete control. The cube is badly damaged and its possible they've been cut off from the collective. 

"I say we destroy them." 

"No, send a few blasts that'll knock them out at least, its time we did some extensive knowledge on a Borg cube, Alanna, Seven, Paris, and Kim you're with me." They nodded and followed her off the bridge as they fired at the cube making it come to a stop. Soon they were on the Borg ship. Xena was eager to get back to Hercules and see how he was. She easily had information downloading immediately as she looked around. She was horrified to find children being grown in a maturation chamber she checked them and found they had been dead for quite some time. She closed the door behind her as she shook her head at the loss of more young lives to the Borg. She was about to go back to her downloading when she noticed four year old boy still alive, he had not been assimilated at all yet. He was in a chamber probably about to be prepared. He looked scared and frightened. 

"Hang on I'll get you out. She easily read the borg language and freed him. His cries filled the air and everyone came rushing. 

"He's the only one left a live, and the few else that still have survived are unconscious," Seven told Kathryn. Xena easily got him into her gentle arms with her trusting smile. He continued to cry. 

"Well at least he's safe and hopefully in good health," Kathryn said as she looked into the chamber and saw the others were dead. Xena walked back over to where she had be working and took her tricorder out of the wall as it finished. 

"I'll take him to sick bay." Kathryn nodded her permission. Xena hit her comm badge. 

"Two to beam to sick bay." They watched her disappear. 

"Is he going to be okay?" Xena asked the doctor after he got a full scan.

"Yes, Lieutenant this little guy is going to be perfectly healthy, he's Ktarian and human like Naomi." 

"Weird, I wonder who his parents were." 

"Well there' s no way of knowing now." Xena nodded and turned her attention to Hercules as he moaned. The boy whimpered, but she smiled at him reassuringly as the doctor gave him a mild sedative to calm his nerves. 

"Is he going to be all right?" Xena asked. 

"Yes, he'll be in some pain, but he'll be good as new. His own body is already starting to heal itself." Xena nodded as he called for water. 

"I got it doctor." She took him a cup of water. He drank without looking at her. 

"It's been a long time Hercules," Xena said. He opened his eyes. 

"I must be hallucinating again." 

"No, you're not hallucinating I'm here." He passed out and Xena left him to rest for now. 

"Doctor tell me if he wakes up again." The doctor nodded. Xena left the boy in his care while she went to go process the information for the Captain. 

"Why have you called us all here?" Kathryn asked entering the astrometrics lab with all her senior officers and Seven of Nine. Icheb watched fascinated from his station. Neelix entered after them talking about a way to welcome their newest arrival. 

"Well you'll be glad to know that between the borg cube and the delta flyer they've been all over this quadrant." 

"So," Neelix said. Xena looked at him and he gulped. 

"That means Neelix that we won't be entering new space blind to all that is there. I took the liberty of downloading all the species information that was retrievable, though we will still have to rely Seven's keen knowledge of species the borg has encountered. 

"And I've prepared notes on their transwarp drive I think with a lot of hard work we could be operating on their level of speed." They all caught the Pads. B'Elanna looked through it. 

"Did you get any data on their weapons?" 

"No, not much," Kathryn replied. "They started to wake up." 

"Oh okay I was asking Alanna though." There was brief silence before Xena answered. 

"I did actually happen to retrieve something, but I haven't translated it all into English just yet." 

"I'll do it," Seven told her. She nodded and tossed her the pad. She looked at it and fixed two words before handing them to the Captain. 

"These weapons are impressive." Xena nodded. 

"Has anyone taken a look at the delta flyer?" Kathryn asked. 

"I was just heading over there," Xena and Tom said at the same time. "I'd be glad for your assistance." They grinned at each other. 

"Okay fine, and what do we know about the owner?" 

"Not much until we access the flyer's data base, but he's of species 2358." 

"Pardon my asking, but how do you know he's your species." 

"Well put it this way, we have history." 

"Now Lieutenant I'm really going to need you to elaborate." Xena nodded. 

"I think its time I did too Captain, but later once I can answer your Questions more thoroughly about Hercules." 

"Hercules like the Greek hero?" Tom asked. Xena nodded before she nodded to Kathryn and left out. Tom followed her out to go take a look at the flyer. 

"So we're looking at what one of the earliest models of the Delta Flyer," Tom told her. 

"Definitely one of the first model. The warp core doesn't use anti-matter and it only goes to warp two. No gel packs and the warp core has to be charged every thirty-five light years or so." Tom shook his head. 

"Let's check his records." Xena found his journal, which she kept private and put on a pad for him later and deleted from records. She had already taken a brief look at everywhere he had traveled and skipped over that. There not much else to tell except that he had traveled very far for sometime in the vast reaches of the Delta Quadrant. 

"He's been all through the Gamma Quadrant, it looks like he was sucked into a wormhole to the Delta quadrant about three hundred years ago," Tom read. "Wow this guy has had bad break after bad break. He's even been nearly all the way to the Alpha Quadrant, but than he's abducted by so many different species." 

"This guy has had it hard, I can't imagine how he even got to the Delta Quadrant, but the Delta Flyer has been flying since before they were invented on earth," Tom told them at the meeting. "He spent a lot of time in the Gamma Quadrant on an M-Class planet as the life forms' technology advance he was able to get the Delta Flyer out of their atmosphere. It's like he spent two thousand years a lone on that planet than another one thousand seven hundred years exploring the Gamma Quadrant. His home course is always Greece though we have no idea where that is. There's nothing on his species 2358 and he's spent the last three hundred years here in the Delta Quadrant." B'Elanna, Chakotay, and Harry were the only ones who weren't confused. 

"Bring Lieutenant Tudor in here now," Kathryn said. Chakotay retrieved her from outside. "Okay Lieutenant I want answers right now." 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"I know you're thinking that demi-gods and goddesses don't exist. Well we do. We're half Q as you call Gods now. There's more than one breed of Q though some more troublesome than others."

"But Q said Q's didn't have children." Xena nodded.f

"Well that may have been true now, but in my time the Gods found themselves falling in love with humans or lusting after them all the time. I'm just one of many consequences and so is Hercules there's no changing it."

"So you are the Hercules and Xena from the history books?" Tom asked. Xena nodded. "So my program is it accurate?"

"Somewhat its my fault things got a little mixed up down in New Zealand when they made shows." Tom nodded.

"I look forward to your insight." She nodded.

"Okay so that doesn't explain how he got to the Gamma Quadrant or the Delta Flyer, why you're here." Xena sighed.

"My father, his half-brother Ares didn't particular love the idea of his beloved daughter falling for his hated half-brother. At first things were okay we didn't explore the possibilities of our relationship until the birth of our daughter. Neither of us were willing not to give her a happy home with both her parents and her half-brother as well who was brought back to life by our Uncle after my son's untimely death. He owed me a favor."

"Than what happened?" Xena sighed as she sat down. Now was where things got tragically sad.

"He turned the Greek Gods against us. First it was my own grandfather Zeus and Hercules was forced to kill him before he killed me and my daughter before she was even born. The furies made him mad with grief and he just vanished. I assumed that was when Ares probably sent him to the Gamma Quadrant and just to be an even bigger bastard gave him the means for travel when he didn't know how. Meanwhile I sent my son to live with my mother he was safe so long as he was not with us. They only wanted Eve after all. My best friend and I Gabrielle we came up with a plan to trick the Gods into thinking we were all dead so that we could live in peace. Perhaps even find Hercules if possible."

"But wouldn't they have known if you didn't enter the underworld?" Kathryn asked mesmerized by the tale. Xena shook her head.

"At this point in our lives we were destined for a different afterlife. A heaven where angels truly existed. In any case we drank death's tears and my daughter was safely hidden with a Roman emperor while a doll burned in her place in the fires of the wagon. But everything went wrong. Ares was angry, he wanted me to suffer, but he didn't want me to die. He froze my body and that of my friend. I missed twenty-five years . He got his wish I suffered unknowingly until the sun shined through the ice cave and I broke free. I freed Gabrielle and together we got out. At first I didn't know how long it had really been, but it was horrifying and even worse to find my daughter had become me except worse. Ares knew who she was having recognized his own grandchild immediately. He destroyed her and turned her into everything her father and I never wanted for her. My son he grew up in Greece more or less how I would have wanted him. Things just got worse from there, but I saved my daughter from herself and at least got her on the road to peace. "

"You said she died."

"That came later, there was a two year period of some sort of peace, but everything was truly going downhill. My mother was murdered and Gabrielle's family gone. We couldn't live anywhere in peace for very long and the world was foreign to us. My son started his family fairly quickly, he wasn't plagued with that outsider feeling as much as we were, but his was more due to his grandmother's horrifying death. My daughter eventually found love and they had children. But Ares could not deal with the fact that we were moving on and he was still suffering. I wasn't miserable, my daughter who he viewed as having betrayed him just as I had, wasn't miserable either. So he did the one thing he knew would hurt us all."

"What?" Chakotay asked.

"He screwed with everything the time continuum everything. Gabrielle found herself being tortured and everyday was like watching her family die. I was the only one who hadn't settled down with anybody the love of my life could not be found. It was all my fault and finally he gave me an ultimatum. I was cursed with never being able to interact with my children for as long as they lived, I had to agree not to ever see Gabrielle again or she would immediately and especially her children and future generations would become prey to more than just his armies. They didn't know about the deal as they begged me to save their children and I could not deny my children anything when it came to their happiness. So I agreed." They all looked sad. "I faked my death in Japan and left them all to grieve, but they were now safe and so were their families. At first this worked out perfectly except when Ares revealed to them I was still alive but could never approach them or be seen by them. But we took comfort in the other's presence alone when he allowed me to be closer to them. Then I discovered that my grandchildren up until a certain age were immune to Ares curse. I got to know them and spend time with them."

"And the war, your planet?" Kathryn asked.

"The war was Ares trying to cause more pain. Gabrielle was old by then, her children were grown and had traveled pass Greece looking for more to feed their hungry minds just like her. My children were old, my grandchildren young adults, and my great-grandchildren young and sweet. We had defied Ares again, by having something of a happy family. My children went to fight knowing why they came, my grandsons they fought and my granddaughters followed me with the little ones to safety. I knew that their death was near, but I hurried. I hid them and rode into battle as fierce as ever. I was a ghost to them all and I killed every last man who dared to fight me. But my children were mortally wounded before I had come. And for the briefest of moments in their death we were reunited. The village was razed and Gabrielle dead. I almost had no one left."

"Could the other villagers see you?"

"Not if I didn't want them too. One of my powers is being able to not be seen if I don't desire to be. I'm also a technopath, so I can fool even the sensors and the comm badge. As the ancient times lent itself to the past I made sure that my family was always well taken care of. They knew me and they knew our plight. There was always a place for me in their homes usually their small children or servants might alert them to my presence as they became less aware of me to the point of not being able to see or hear me. I watched over Gabrielle's descendants as well. I made that promise to her before I had left even if she never saw or heard me, but she knew I was there."

"Wasn't there a Tudor massacre though."

"Yes some years back most of my family was annihilated except my granddaughter she was in the Beta Quadrant and her small children were with me. They survived and I'm not quite sure, but a grandson of mine was missing when I boarded Voyager."

"What brought you to Starfleet?" Chakotay asked.

"My son Zefram Cochrane. After defeating Ares in the nineteen forties and earning myself two decades worth of freedom with my family Ares was furious when Athena released him. The curse was back into effect. He killed the first daughter I had had in a long time. Until the sixties I hadn't given birth since Eve. I had been more focused on my grandchildren. Unfortunately now I can only keep away my maternal instincts to breed for only so long. Every death is just as fresh and new as if it were Eve and Solan all over again. Its gotten to the point that its like a lottery on who lives or dies. If they live than things will go one of two ways. Either they'll be so attached to me and then one day I wake up and they're gone. He takes them to his personal training gounds where two weeks is as good as two years. If he's feeling particularly cruel he rapes the girls. And he always makes sure that they still know who I am so that they miss me. Or they grow up unable to love me though they desperately want too before he takes them away. Maybe he'll kill them, maybe not who knows."

"So you joined because of Zefram well he had a long life," Kathryn said.

"Yes, because I gave Zefram up Ares took his brother from me upon his arrival after a particularly nasty fight. Zefram arrived many hours later, so I did what I had too. I joined Starfleet and was with him everywhere he went during his travels. He never noticed me, but in the end Ares took him away too."

"Which is why he's labeled as disappeared." Xena nodded.

"After that my family just kind of joined Starfleet. I stayed on. I'd end one life as Alanna only to come back as her granddaughter. Occasionally changing my name."

"Why Voyager?" Seven of Nine asked.

"I was bored and thought a trip to the badlands would be great, I never expected to get pulled into the Delta Quadrant or even find you Annika."

"Me?" Seven asked.

"Yes, you, your mother, Erin Hansen, she gave birth to you when I was working as a doctor on the Tendara Colony checking in on her. I arrived just in time. I honestly thought you'd look more like Gabrielle, but I was wrong."

"Well now I know where the Gabrielle comes from." Everyone nodded.

"Well now that everyone knows I can tell you that you have more family than your Aunt Irene. Sometimes the people in your family can be a little stuck up but they love with their heart's mixed in with Gabrielle's father's stubbornness."

"Well at least there's some good news here." She straightened up. "Can we expect a visit from this Ares?" Xena nodded.

"I'm not sure if he has the power to pop all the way out here to the Delta Quadrant himself as opposed to sending someone else out here or even to the Gamma Quadrant. But if he can you can expect he'll be here because Hercules is here and I'm here."

"So, that means?" Tuvok asked wanting it to be clear.

"That while true love knows no boundaries neither does the hatred that's been scorned by love. I'd like to tell you that his love for me was purely that of a father, but than I'd be lying about the Gods who don't see brother, sister, father, daughter like you do. The only thing that can free me from this hated curse and my children is for Hercules and I to successfully mate. If he can help it my child won't be born even if I have to die."

"I think you should go for it. There's that chance he won't know."

"Yeah," Tom agreed.

"You'd all be in more danger if I did."

"I think you should too," Chakotay told her. Everyone agreed except the Captain.

"People you do realize we're talking about ."

"Yes," Chakotay said. "I for one have faith that Xena warrior princess can still kick some ass to at least make him go away for awhile even Hercules." Xena smiled at them.

"Look Captain I'd bet on him not showing for the simple fact that Xena's last children were killed because of the borg not some Q."

"Lieutenant as much as I would like to tell you not to mate in the best interest of this crew, I can tell from your story that it won't make a difference when it comes to this Q. Besides it is also not my right." Xena thanked her.

"But you have to inform the entire crew of the risks." So that night in the mess hall she told everyone and they were excited and demanded to hear one of her wonderful stories. So everyone headed for the holodeck including the doctor where they sat around a campfire telling stories from their cultures.

"I think we should make this a weekly ritual." Everyone agreed.

"We should take dinner here too!" Everyone laughed and nodded wondering what else can make their new ritual perfect.

"How is he?" Kathryn asked sitting next to Xena who was sitting away from the group now, but closer to the fire for warmth. She was holding the boy, who had almost been turned into a borg, and comforting him. He was frightened without her.

"Perfect, he reminds me of my newest grandson, my granddaughter Elizabeth sent me a picture of him in her last letter. To think that soon she might just be able to see me, write letters directly too me, hear me, hug me."

"Why is she your favorite?"

"Because she never stopped confiding in me. To some they remember me as a imaginary friend, but its their parents before them that keep reminding them that I am real and there. Elizabeth never needed a reminder nor her children to make her remember that I am real and alive not just some phantom or ghost. We've spent time together and had loads of fun as long as she was smiling I was smiling. While she couldn't see or hear me others could and she would get comments all the time. She was never surprised that I was still there right beside her as always. She looks a lot like my mother."

"It's always nice to be treated like a real person."

"Very, it's a horrid thing to know that people don't think you're alive. It feels so much more lonely than actually being alone especially when its family."

"Why don't you keep him, he's immune to the curse isn't he." Xena nodded.

"He's not of my flesh." Kathryn smiled.

"Than enjoy your new son." Xena smiled too.

"You're a very kind woman and I'd be happy to take the little guy in. He wouldn't be the first."

"There's more?"

"Who do you think started the Tudor boarding school for boys and girls located in beautiful Greece. The place is full of Orphans from all over the world and rich children as well seventeen thousand dollars in tuition per child even less for Orphans so the country will pay."

"I suppose after living for four thousand years you would be well off." Xena shrugged.

"Well you learn to predict what you mortals will go for next. The next thing you know there will be a colony in the Delta Quadrant and guess who'll invest in protecting the colonies properly of course."

"Me," Kathryn replied. They laughed.

"However I can't take him, his place isn't with me."

"But he loves you already."

"Yes, but he must love another someone like him." Kathryn nodded.

"I'll talk to Ensign Wildman about it."

"I'll keep him until then."

"So what are you going to name?"

"I think I'll name him Evan." They smiled and watched as a guitar note was struck along with Harry's clarinet and dancing began.

"Join us?" The doctor asked her holding a violin. Xena nodded.

"Here I'll take Evan." Xena nodded and handed Evan over. They both stood up and soon she was fiddling and they were all dancing happily until the fun had to end.

"Here's your new temporary home Evan," Xena told him as he yawned wearily. She hummed to him a sweet lullaby and he drifted to sleep in her bed. She kissed his forehead careful of his spikes. Neelix rang her doorbell and she opened the door for him.

"Thanks for doing this Neelix."

"No problem, I do love children." Xena nodded.

"He's already fallen asleep so he should be of no trouble." Neelix nodded as she left. He looked around the room was relatively plain unless you counted the chakram hanging over her bed and the purples that lined the corner of the room belonging to a now dead infant or infants. There were also some old scrolls hanging on the wall that had been recopied several times over the years so that the stories upon them could be preserved. He also noticed that everything was neatly arranged and in its place as well as the games like kadis-kot, Tri-Dimensional chess, and Kal-toh. Naomi usually had her's all over the place.

"Lieutenant I thought you and young Evan would be asleep by now, you've had a big day." Xena nodded.

"Yeah, but I had to check on Hercules."

"I was just about bring him his meal, but you can, I had to put a force field around him he's quite hysterical."

"You should have called me."

"I wanted you to rest, but now that you're here you may take him his meal. I understand he is very confused." Xena picked up the tray.

"Yuck Leola root soup?"

"Neelix sent it up, but you must admit it does have the nutrition he needs." Xena nodded. Xena glanced in her reflection in the glass before she headed further into sickbay. The doctor removed the force field long enough for Xena to step through and give her a tricorder.

"Xena?" Hercules asked.

"Yes, its me, I'm real you were injured pretty badly even for an Immortal, I'm sure the furies are out of your head now especially if they didn't want to be stuck in this Quadrant."

"No, they left me a long time ago, the hallucinations were only my dreams. So how long has it been?"

"Four thousand years since the days we were born and only slightly less since you last saw me."

"Eve?" He asked curious about the fate of his daughter.

"Ares did something Gabrielle and I did not forsee in our plans. In any event we were frozen for twenty-five years. I missed everything and he corrupted her." Her voice was low with sadness as she continued to explain to him up until that day.

"Its not your fault Xena, you did everything you could, I'm just happy that in the end she had a family, I'm just sorry she died like that and Solan too." Xena nodded. "And don't worry we'll break you from Ares' hold."

"I know we will, now eat your soup, you're going to need your strength." He picked up the bowl and ate. He made a face.

"What is this crap?"

"Leola root soup, now eat up its good for you when you're sick or we're rationing."

"I'm glad the planet I was on taught me a lot about technology or I would be so lost." He forced the soup down. "When can I leave this place?"

"When you're all better and you have to behave yourself if you want the force field down." Hercules nodded. "You can tell the hologram I'll be good."

"The doctor is considered a member of this crew so treat him with respect." Hercules nodded noting that she was serious and challenged him to disobey her. "Now get some rest, I'm sure you'll be good as new tomorrow and I'll show you around perhaps if you're up to it."

"Tomorrow I think I just want to sleep somewhere more private." Xena nodded. Once he was lying down she stroked his forehead affectionately before leaving after scanning him. The doctor looked at him wearily, but nodded to Xena as he took the tricorder back. Xena left out and returned to her room.

"Care for a game of kadis-kot Lieutenant?" Neelix asked.

"No thanks Neelix not right now, perhaps a day when I'm free unfortunately Naomi and Seven have got me booked solid for the next week." He nodded and left after she thanked him. She took a shower in the sonic shower complimentary in everyone's quarters before going to bed.

In the morning Ensign Wildman was happy to add Evan to their family as long as Xena would be Aunt to both him and Naomi. Xena readily agreed as like Seven she had become a sort of mother to Naomi at times.

"Are we still on for my lessons in Kal-toh so I can beat Tuvok?" Naomi asked her. Xena nodded. "We'll work on your French too." Naomi smiled. She told her goodbye and Evan as well. She got a quick breakfast from the replicator and headed for sickbay. Kathryn entered after her.

"Hello I am Captain Kathryn Janeway of the starship Federation Voyager," Kathryn introduced herself. Hercules shook her hand.

"Nice to finally meet the Captain of this ship, I wanted to thank you for taking me in, in my time of need, I know the borg are frightening to go up against alone."

"It was no trouble."

"I'm sorry I'm not pleasant to be around, I'm just anxious to get into a real bed." Kathryn nodded.

"By all means, Xena take the day off we can catch up with him tomorrow." Xena nodded.

"Thank you Captain." Xena led him out of sickbay and back to her quarters. Hercules body rejoiced at the feel of the bed under him.

"Leola root soup in a mug." The replicator made it appear and she brought it over to him to his dismay. "Drink it up and then go take a shower." She replicated him several pairs of clothes as he went into her bathroom.

"Um Xena do you have any other soap besides this girly stuff I can't walk around smelling like lavender." Xena laughed and replicated a brand of soap Tom had recommended to Harry. She loved the smell of it so it did not bother her. "Thank you." When he came out she helped him dry off and get dressed in some night clothes before he got into bed.

"Are these my quarters?" He asked.

"No, they're mine we share them now, we're still husband and wife after all." Hercules smiled as he looked above him and spotted her famous chakram and sword even. He spotted the games he had no idea how to play and the scrolls on the walls. But most importantly was the baby stuff. Xena began to put it away realizing that she had left it out.

"You had a baby?" Hercules asked.

"Artificially I had triplets this time, but they were killed only a day or so after a borg attack and for once I can't blame it on Ares."

"Maybe it was him." Xena shook her head.

"No, with Ares there would have been something more." Hercules nodded.

"You want a child badly don't you?"

"Sometimes, but mostly I dream of another child that's a little bit of you and I who won't have the pain the others have. I've missed you so much over the years that it has almost overwhelmed me with absolute grief, but I never gave up hope. I want to take things slow though, if we're not happy together than our child won't be happy so we're going to stop and talk about everything that is bothering us today." Hercules nodded.

"Now that I've found you I've got two problems."

"What's that?"

"One is of course Ares and two the fact you've slept with other men." Xena frowned.

"That only happened once when the urge got too strong, but after nineteen eighty – medical technology allowed me to get pregnant without a man." Hercules smiled. He could over look that one, unlike Ares he would never begrudge her anything that made her happy. Xena smiled as well noting that he was still the same except he looked tired from his journey as if he thought he would never see the end. He had gone a long time without companionship while she was at least able to surround herself with other people.

"I don't know what I'd have done if I hadn't found you soon."

"I know, how you feel, but I never expected to find you all the way out here."

"How far are we from home?"

"Thirty-two thousand light years unless we find a faster way home it'll be years, my grandchildren's children's children will have kids probably."

"That's a long time." Xena nodded. "So what do you do around here, what's your role?"

"I'm second in command in engineering; I give lessons in French, Genetics, and Kal-toh a Volcan game its like chess." Hercules looked at her confused. "Don't worry I'll explain everything more thoroughly later. But sometimes I babysit Naomi and now Evan Wildman though Naomi doesn't need much babysitting she's more of an observer at times. She'll be a great engineer one day."

"Are they the only children on the ship?" Xena shook her head.

"No, there's Miral, the daughter of my best friend B'Elanna."

"She must be a great person to earn that title." Xena was silent as she thought about it for a moment and nodded.

"Yeah I guess so, I haven't called anyone my best friend since Gabrielle."

"I know I hadn't had a best friend since Iolaus except for you."

"We were born best friends even when we didn't know it." He kissed her and in that moment electricity ran through their body as a fierce longing and hunger was awakened in them. Or at least that's what would have happened if Aphrodite's hand, hadn't found its way between their lips. They both pulled back immediately.

"What the hell!" They both exclaimed.

"Like sorry guys, but I couldn't let you do that."

"And why can't I kiss my own wife?" Hercules asked as Xena stood up ready to grab her sword off the wall.

"Because than Ares will know you've found each other."

"Why doesn't he know now?" Xena asked.

"The only time he keeps tabs on you now is when you get pregnant and he lost track of Hercules after he left him on that planet thing. But he didn't foresee or plan for this. Now lucky for you I kept Ares from noticing the birth of your last children, where are they by the way?" She looked around finding no sign of them except one empty baby bed.

"They died during a Borg attack." Aphrodite looked sad.

"Damn it I thought for sure I had saved them this time." She stomped her foot. "Well anyway look the moment you kiss however he is going to know and he will be here faster than you two can break that kiss. He won't let it lead to a child."

"Who came up with the whole child thing anyway, how would that break the curse on my children?"

"Zeus, it's hard to interfere with other gods at times, but we can do little things to make something better. Because of the way children love, I am able to override that curse, however, as one grows older you don't love as easily, but their fond memories of you no matter how they start to think of you lets them know you're near them. But Zeus stimulated that when you two had a child that was created in love Ares hold over you would be gone forever and he could never do that to you again."

"Hence why I was all the way out in the Delta Quadrant."

"You were in the Gamma Quadrant; you traveled into the Delta Quadrant."

"Oh, what she said then."

"Yes."

"So how do we do this without getting caught?" They were all silent as they laughed at her words. "Sad I'm a grown woman trying not to get caught having sex by her father." They laughed some more.

"Okay no seriously how?" Hercules asked.

"Well you have to do it without kissing. Sex is private under my law, sexual partners cannot be known during the act by any God even me. At most they'll know you're having sex, but you absolutely cannot kiss or he'll know you're together."

"Is kissing restricted from a certain area or everything?"

"Everywhere."

"He's a kisser though."

"I know, but I was thinking if we tied him to the bed and then did it, you'd be fine." Xena was silent as she thought.

"You're actually considering that?" Hercules asked. Xena shook her head.

"No, I was just thinking if we did it artificially than we could make the moment we actually have sex more special and Ares won't find out, we'll just have to abstain from kissing until the baby is born. Naturally he won't assume Hercules is the father. In the mean time I'll give you a gift to keep you two busy." She snapped her fingers. "Remember absolutely no kissing." They nodded.

"What did you do?" They asked, but she had already disappeared.

"Maybe it was nothing." He nodded. "Come on I'll teach you to play kadis-kot." He nodded knowing he needed to keep his mind off her lips and every other part of her body. He learned Kadis-kot fairly easily and joined in the lessons with Naomi to learn Kal-toh, he lost sorely and it really took his mind off sex, because it was so puzzling.

"This time I am going to win this game." Xena laughed.

"Yeah right." He pulled out another rod and made an even bigger mess of the puzzle. He sighed in defeat.

"Okay I give up, fix it." Xena fixed it in two moves. "You always win."

"Don't beat yourself up it takes a lot to win, now will you please come out of this room and meet people besides Naomi and Evan. "I actually have a game with Tuvok that Harry and the others are looking forward too."

"Aren't you looking forward to it?"

"I would be if you weren't hiding out in our quarters. Its been a week." He sighed.

"Okay fine, I'll come watch and meet people."

"Thank you." He got dressed in a tunic and pants. She tossed him a pair of boots and waited for him to shave while she brushed his hair. "There now let's go." They left her quarters and he got a full tour of all the decks and ended at the mess hall.

"Xena!" B'Elanna exclaimed.

"Hey, is Tuvok here yet?"

"No, Harry and I were just playing a warm up game."

"Hmm who's winning?" Xena asked taking a seat next to B'Elanna, Hercules took a seat next to her as he looked around.

"I am," Harry and Tom said at the same time. They laughed.

"Hercules it's finally nice to meet you I'm Lieutenant Tom Paris, I pilot this ship most of the time." Tom said introducing himself. They shook hands.

"I'm Ensign Harry Kim, head Operations coordinator."

"And I'm Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres, head of Engineering, I'm Tom's wife." Hercules nodded as he shook both of their hands.

"So have you two love birds gotten pregnant yet, you haven't left the room for a week."

"I have, he hasn't," Xena told him as she rolled her eyes at his joke.

"Doesn't matter, so can we expect another kid around here in two months?" Tom asked.

"Yes, but we chose to do it artificially, don't ask I'll explain later." They nodded.

"We get it at least I do," B'Elanna told her. Neelix walked over.

"So what can I get you guys?" Neelix asked. He looked surprised to see Hercules. "Ah Hercules its so good to see you finally out of your quarters, I was just preparing to come give you a pep talk to get you out of bed." They all groaned even though they didn't hate Neelix's pep talks they liked giving him a hard time.

"No, no thanks I was just resting that's all Mr….?"

"Neelix, I am moral officer and cook on this fair starship, um…how do you like it so far?"

"I love every inch of it, it's the people I'm trying to get use too it's been a long time." Xena squeezed his hand in reassurance and he smiled at her.

"So Neelix what's on the menu today?" Xena asked to take all of the attention away from Hercules. It didn't take long for Neelix to go off on all that he had prepared and bring over selected dishes for everyone to enjoy just as Harry beat Tom.

"Yes, I told you I was winning." Tom frowned.

"Yeah, yeah."

"Hey you know this isn't bad," Hercules said eating Neelix's version of spaghetti, which nothing like spaghetti at all. Neelix was very pleased it was the first comment he had gotten not in the form of a joke, but then he frowned.

"I know you're new here, but we don't lie around here." Hercules looked surprised as the others laughed.

"Sorry Neelix when Hercules actually says he likes your cooking, he means it, but don't worry he'll be insulting your cooking like the rest of us in no time." Neelix smiled.

"Well that's good to know." They nodded. Neelix left.

"Why would I insult his cooking?"

"Well its become the norm around here to insult Neelix's cooking even if its really good, its just something we've all gotten use too and has become a way to say that we appreciate him being the cook and not subjecting us to replicator food all the time." Hercules nodded. "But nothing mean just jokes like this isn't half bad and stuff along those lines."

"So I have to treat it like it's your cooking," Hercules teased.

"Forget you, my cooking has gotten much better for your information."

"How bad was her cooking?" B'Elanna asked.

"Torture bad," Hercules told her. They laughed. "Didn't you once take down an entire army?"

"No, that was Joxer, remember that dressing Joxer has, his own special recipe now that was poisonous and inhuman to give somebody." Hercules made a face.

"Don't remind me I still have nightmares." They told them about the sauce and they were horrified by the idea.

"I guess it's true then," Tom said.

"What?" They asked.

"Some things should stay in the past and never spoken of again." They laughed. Finally Tuvok arrived as Neelix cleared away their dishes.

"Ready for our game Lieutenant?" He asked. Xena nodded. Chakotay came in after him and walked over.

"But first I would like to introduce you to Hercules, my husband, Hercules this is Lieutenant Commander Tuvok, He is the security and tactical officer here on Voyager."

"I look forward to training you, so that you may join this crew as an officer." Hercules nodded.

"I look forward to learning." They shook hands, but Hercules was slightly unnerved by his lack of emotion. He had of course read up on all the species that were on the ship as Xena had instructed, but it didn't prepare him for the Vulcan lack of emotion. It was almost like Xena, but she always showed him emotion and nine times out of ten he knew what she was thinking or feeling.

"And this is our first officer Commander Chakotay, he's got almost as much power as the Captain."

"Almost as much?" Chakotay asked with a grin as he shook hands with Hercules.

"Yes almost." Once everyone had arrived and surrounded Xena and Tuvok they began their game. Naomi was right beside her very excited that one day soon she would also beat Tuvok and than Xena." Kathryn arrived wondering where all her officers had gotten off too leaving Ensigns in charge.

"What's going on here?" Kathryn asked.

"Shh!" Everyone exclaimed at once not paying any attention to who had entered. Even Hercules was watching them closely after getting more details from Tom and Chakotay. Kathryn sighed and went over to Neelix.

"Ah Captain what can I get for you?" Neelix whispered.

"Coffee black," Kathryn whispered back. "What's going on?"

"Ah Lieutenant Commander Tuvok and Lieutenant Tudor are playing Kal-toh it's a close game." Kathryn nodded as he handed over her coffee.

"They've been trying to get him to play for months and now we know who the person they had in mind was." Neelix nodded. She went over and they easily let her through. Tom moved to the side of Chakotay so she was sitting next to Hercules. She nodded to him and he to her.

"You are a very formidable opponent Lieutenant, but you're not going to win today," Tuvok told her as she prepared for her next move. She was purposely looking as if she were going to the wrong rod.

"I haven't lost a game of Kal-toh since I first began learning," Xena told him as she moved her hand deciding on a different rod it seemed. It did not win her the game and everyone held their breath as Tuvok made his next move. Fortunately that wasn't the right one. Xena deciding that she had made the game go on long enough to torture her comrads she beat Tuvok.

"Yes!" They exclaimed. They all clapped her on the back and high fived her for her win.

"Great game Lieutenant," Tuvok told her.

"Great game," Xena replied shaking his hand.

"How did you do it?" Harry asked.

"Elementary spatial harmonics Harry." Seven smirked.

"I told him the same thing when I beat Tuvok."

"He just doesn't get it."

"Well now that the game is over can you all get back to work?" Everyone groaned and nodded.

"Oh my shift started an hour ago," Xena said looking at her watch."

"Crap me too," B'Elanna told her. Kathryn watched them all hurry off.

"Well I better get back to our quarters," Hercules said standing up.

"Why don't you join me on the bridge and learn some things?" Hercules shrugged and nodded. He stayed out of their way and watched everyone work for a little while before wandering off. He found the astrometrics lab. He watched Seven and Icheb work.

"Can I help you with something?" Seven asked. Hercules shook his head.

"Merely learning how everything works around here."

"Amazing that you and Ensign Kim built this place."

"Lieutenant Tudor helped as well."

"Do you call anyone by their first name?" Hercules asked.

"Yes, Neelix."

"I meant who has a rank."

"Occasionally."

"Are you as smart as your wife?" Icheb asked him.

"I am knowledgable in the technology of the Bronte species."

"Are they peaceful?" Icheb asked.

"They can be, but they're located in the Gamma Quadrant, so its of no use here, but Humans have yet to reach so far in Gamma Space, at least when I was there and they could have changed by now."

"It is possible," Seven replied. Naomi walked into the astrometrics lab.

"There you are Hercules, I was looking for you, come play Kadis-kot with me." Hercules smiled and nodded at Naomi. Evan was following her around and took his other hand as they led him out. "Aunt Xena said you love to play Kadis-kot and were too afraid to ask me to play because you knew I'd win, but I promised her I'd go easy on you." Hercules laughed. He could get use to Naomi occupying some of his time.

Meanwhile on the bridge Kathryn and everyone on the bridge were staring at some white apparition that had appeared there with their guns ready.

"What is that?" Chakotay asked the Captain. She shrugged.

"I don't know, but if its hostile everyone get ready to fire." Soon the hazy white light disappeared and in its place were two five year olds. One beautiful blond haired blue eyed little boy, who looked remarkably like his roguish father, but had the piercing eyes of his mother and one gorgeous brunette who definitely had her mother's eyes and bone structure. There was a note on the boys clothes.

"Captain maybe you shouldn't go near them."

"They're just children Tuvok." Kathryn carefully crept towards them. They backed away.

"I want my mommy!" He wailed and the girl started to wail too. They moved away from her again, but she got the note at least.

"Who's the note from?"

"Its from Aphrodite, Xena did mention that she had snapped her fingers for something to occur, but nothing ever happened, I guess we know what it is now." They nodded.

"Which children do you think they are?"

"First two maybe, they seem to have a special place in her heart," Kathryn said after they had gotten them into her ready room. They had already called Xena to her ready room. The replicator had provided a toy to keep them busy and from crying.

"Eve and Solan right." Both children looked up at the sound of their names confirming their identity. Xena knocked.

"Come in." Xena took in everything immediately and her eyes rested on the two children playing. Her heart knew them instantly and it only took a minute for her mind to as well.

"Just to be sure I'm not hallucinating, but there are two five year olds sitting on the floor right." Kathryn smiled knowing she had recognized her children immediately.

"Yes, Aphrodite sent them." They looked up and smiled at Xena.

"Mommy!" They exclaimed. She went over to them and they met her halfway. She hugged and kissed them.

"Well we're glad things are working out for you."

"Thank you Captain, Commander." She hurried off to find Hercules, she still had to get back to work and the children couldn't stay in Engineering. Hercules was surprised when she entered their quarters with them, but all the same he rejoiced.

"We can celebrate more later, I still have to finish my shift." He nodded and Naomi was happy to have more friends and play Kadis-Kot, the best part was they were her age.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"Your child is really stubborn its been nearly a year and the doctor can't even induce labor," B'Elanna commented as they crawled in one of the Jeffries Tubes and were changing a gel pack.

"Who are you telling, but I've been having pains lately so I think its finally going to give in."

"Let's hope so. You two have been avoiding each other lately."

"No kidding, I'm so tempted to kiss him, but we can't until the baby is born."

"You'd never think that not kissing someone would be so hard. Tom and I tried it for a week, but it wasn't the same as when it just happened naturally because of Miral."

"I know, I think that's what Aphrodite tried to achieve, but it's the little things that get a kiss just because." B'Elanna nodded.

"You know I really thought you were kidding when you said that a child could be stubborn and not come when he or she is supposed too." Xena laughed.

"I don't kid about these things." They crawled out and went back to engineering. Xena's shift ended late and she could hear crying from a select few quarters on deck three. It had been very interesting to find out that Chakotay and Seven were seeing each other. She wondered if the Captain had been a little distraught over it, but she had recovered from it quickly at least on the outside. They now had a daughter, Chakotay had insisted on calling her Gabriella. Unfortunately she was a fussy one.

"You know now I am glad my daughter is half klingon," B'Elanna muttered.

"Why is that?" Xena asked.

"Never in her life has she been that fussy except when sick." They laughed and went to their respective quarters. When she entered the children were asleep in their bed. Hercules was waiting up with dinner. He looked handsome in his Starfleet uniform.

"Thank you," Xena told him careful not to go near him or she would kiss him. He was careful to keep his distance as well. "Hopefully it won't be long now." He nodded. She ate her dinner and promptly went to bed. Hercules slept on the couch just so they could avoid accidents. Xena woke up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night as pain ran through her body. She felt between her legs and found it was wet.

"Computer lights on," Xena said. There was blood on her fingers. Hercules stirred and yawned.

"Xena what's wrong?"

"Hercules help me get to sickbay." He got up and dressed quickly before lifting her up easily. She buried her face in his neck to keep from screaming in pain as ran through her body. "Computer activate the ENH Alpha 8." Xena had created the Emergency Nanny Hologram. Everyone had their own and was assigned a specific number, so they wouldn't have to share. Now there were more mobile emitters created. They watched as she appeared wearing a mobile emitter though she couldn't leave the room. She immediately headed for the children's room to watch over them. They left quickly and got on the turbo lift.

"Deck Five," Hercules said. "Are you okay?" Xena shook her head as she closed her eyes.

"There's blood."

"Everything is going to be fine, you'll see." He wanted to kiss her, but they both knew everything would not be fine if he comforted her in that way. He walked quickly down the hall and arrived at sickbay. The doctor was no where to be found.

"Computer locate the doctor," Hercules said as he laid Xena on the main biobed.

"The doctor is on holodeck one."

"Crewman Hercules to Doctor we need you in sick bay."

"I'm on my way crewman." Soon the doctor had appeared.

"Please state the nature of your medical emergency," the doctor said.

"I'm bleeding," Xena said. "Now get over here and make sure no one gets in or out of this sickbay unless they're seriously injured or having a baby too understood?" He nodded.

"Computer lock sickbay doors." He gave the command codes and went over to Xena grabbing a tricorder.

"You're child is in distress Lieutenant I'm afraid we'll have to do a c-section." She nodded as she breathed hard. The doctor prepared to transport the baby, but he had to call Tom to assist since he was his medical assistant.

"Okay Tom get ready." Tom nodded. He pushed the button and a beautiful baby boy appeared in the bed. He was being choked by his umbilical cord. Tom immediately set to freeing him.

"Now for the second one."

"Two?" Hercules asked. He'd almost forgotten they were having twins. "I almost forgot." Once the baby boy was free Tom waited for the second one as Xena watched her new born son in his biobed. Than her daughter who was perfectly fine and agitated that she wasn't inside her mother anymore. Tom checked her out just to be sure. The after birth came out the normal disgusting way. Xena was strangely rested from the sedative the doctor had given her. She held her daughter close as Hercules held his son.

"What are we going to name them?" Kathryn asked. B'Elanna was holding the girl while Kathryn held the boy a little later after the sedative had worn off an hour later.

"The girl we named Eleanor Kathryn Tudor and the boy we named Leonardo Gabriel Tudor."

"So does this mean the curse is broken?" B'Elanna asked. There was a flash of light and Zeus appeared.

"Yes, Xena can safely interact with her family and Ares can't harm any of them."

"Who are you?" Kathryn asked.

"I am Zeus, I was about to kill you remember during the civil war."

"Oh yes, now I remember," Kathryn told him. He nodded.

"What about me, what's to stop him from making me appear in some far off galaxy?" Hercules asked. A cup appeared in Zeus hands.

"Its also time you two took your rightful places in the continuum."

"No thanks, Zeus, but I like the life I've made for myself especially now without Ares to worry about."

"Yeah, you know being a full God is not for me."

"Your place in the grand design is here on voyager, but you must become full Gods now so that your powers may develop in the time it takes this ship to make it home."

"You mean we can't assist them?" Xena asked.

"Since you are still half mortal however immortal your powers must grow and they will have matured by the time you get back."

"What's going on, on earth?"

"I cannot say, but they must be prepared. Drink when you are ready." He disappeared leaving the cup in Hercules hands.

"Well?" Kathryn asked.

"Well what?" Xena asked.

"Are you going to drink?"

"It would change everything."

"No more than being immortal already has once you think about it," B'Elanna told her. "So you get a few extra powers and defend mankind." Xena nodded.

"She's right you know."

"I know, you drink first."

"Of course you would make me go first, God forbid its poison." They laughed.

"Well men are supposed to go first when something is suspicious."

"Yeah, but its more chivalrous when a lady goes first," He told her holding out the chalice.

"Coward," She told him teasingly. She took the cup and a thirst ignited so powerful she drank it all. He took the cup.

"Nice leave none for me."

"There's more," Xena told him. The chalice was once again full. He shrugged and drank deeply when nothing happened to her.

"You feel different?" Hercules asked. Xena shook her head.

"You?" He shook his head.

"You're glowing." Xena suddenly glowed bright and she felt as if she were never pregnant. Everything and anything made sense and she knew all about the continuum. The only thing she didn't know was the threat ahead of them.

"So are you." Hercules glowed and he knew too.

"Redemption and Balance," Xena told him.

"Protector of Nations," Hercules told her.

"Yours fits," They said at the same time.

"Redemption, Balance?" Kathryn asked.

"Protector of Nations?" B'Elanna asked equally confused.

"My role is Redemption, and keeping the balance between Good and Evil."

"And I would essentially protect nations from each other or outsiders." They nodded in understanding.

"Now, to get back to our quarters for some rest, we had a long night." Xena got up and took her son, and Hercules took their daughter after the doctor insisted on checking them out again.

"Right, come on B'Elanna we have work to do." They all headed for the door, but stopped as a dark figure in black appeared.

"Ares," Hercules and Xena said together as they held their children close. Both kids were very alert and watching their grandfather who was also their Uncle.

"You may have escaped me, but the people around you are still mortal," Ares told them. He glared at the children as they began to cry before he disappeared.

"Everyone had better be prepared for some sort of battle," Hercules whispered. They nodded. Xena and Hercules returned to their quarters.

"Eve, Solan," Hercules called after putting his daughter down in her new crib. Xena lay her son down and noticed that there was no sign of them anywhere. She went to the bed and noticed that her chakram had become the yin and yang chakrams once again. There was also a scroll from Aphrodite. She quickly scanned it.

"Do you think they're with Naomi?" Hercules asked.

"No, look." Hercules read the scroll and sighed. "They made the choice in the afterlife, and for almost a year they got to have home, love, and a complete family. I for one am happy Aphrodite did what she did." Hercules sighed again.

"Its still heart breaking, I really thought it was a second chance with Eve and Solan even." Xena rubbed his shoulders.

"I know, but you are getting a second chance with them, we both are, they have been reincarnated as Eleanor and Leonardo." Hercules looked at his new born children who looked at him and gurgled happily. Xena picked up her the yin and yang chakrams. She transformed them so that they were a necklace. She dressed in a clean uniform as did Hercules.

"Well I had better go, I'm still on duty." Xena nodded as he began to engage his children in a little play before he departed. He kissed her before leaving. She spread their blanket out on the floor and spread out some toys. She noticed that they could easily lift their heads up and move their arms to pick up toys, but they were still a little bald.

"Uh oh you two need to grow some hair on your heads. I better get you some clothes. She went over to the drawer and looked through it for their pajamas. "Damn I'll have to replicate hats for them." She straightened up with their clothes and saw that they had grown old enough to sit up on their own. Aphrodite was now sitting next to them.

"Aphrodite what did you do to them, change them back," Xena told her. Aphrodite smiled at her.

"I didn't do anything to them warrior babe, they grew all on their own."

"What?" Xena asked. "But they're only Immortals not Gods." Aphrodite shrugged.

"Yes, but they're not just 20 percent Immortal and 75 percent mortal. They're the children of two Immortal Demi-Gods." Xena sighed. "And Immortals and Gods, don't do newborns so naturally they grow fast in the first couple of hours if they were full Gods it'd be more like minutes. But you can stop worrying they've stopped growing at the time of the continuum."

"Well that's good to know, everyone's going to be surprised as it is."

"Call me if you ever want me to watch them, and Ares is planning something big so I'd make sure that these mortals are prepared." Xena nodded. She put all their baby clothes away and back in the box. She had it sent back to storage as she replicated them new clothes and examined their features. Eleanor had her gorgeous black hair and her beautiful smile and her father's blue eyes where as her brother had her eyes, but his father's brown hair and kind smile. Unfortunately growing within hours of your birth and being born made you fiercely hungry. The littlest of Gods and Immortals needed to nurse after all if they were going to grow up to be big strong Gods. Xena found she had more than enough milk to accommodate them both over the course of the day as they demanded frequent feedings and would eat nothing else.

"What's in your milk?" Hercules asked when he got off his shift.

"Not what you're thinking, it just happened right after you left, but they haven't grown any more since." Xena easily nursed her daughter who wanted milk more frequently than her brother, who didn't mind because that meant his sister usually slept and he got to nurse a little longer than normal if she were up and waiting for him to finish. He had learned that earlier in the morning.

"Well hopefully they won't grow to fast now or we won't get to experience parenthood after all."

"No, Aphrodite said Gods and Immortals don't do newborns, I don't think they're going to grow any faster than normal now." He nodded.

"How often are they nursing?" Hercules asked.

"Elly nurses every hour she's awake and Leo is content to nurse every time she's asleep. I think she fights too many Borg in her sleep." Hercules laughed and kissed Eleanor's forehead before playing with his son. Once Eleanor had contented herself, she crawled to her father and Leo quickly crawled to her. He latched himself on immediately sucking hard and fast.

"Ouch, you my friend are going to have to learn to eat other food if you keep this up," Xena told him in all seriousness. He didn't suck so hard, but he never once slowed down his pace. "Thank you." That night everyone had a birthday party for them in the mess hall as was tradition on Voyager these days and were slightly surprised to see they had grown to be a year old.

"Neelix, I think you had better change the candles!" Kathryn called making everyone laugh. They sang Happy Birthday to them and ate chocolate cake, which immediately turned into their new food source.

"Oh you've gone and done it now Neelix, they're going to want chocolate cake now all the time," Hercules told him. Although it sounded like a joke Xena knew he was serious. That night in front of everybody Miral and Eleanor took their first steps together. That made everyone happy to witness such a blessed event. Leo preferred to take his first steps in private that night with his parents and sister.

* * *

"Good morning Neelix," Xena greeted as she led the children by the hand into the mess hall for breakfast.

"Good morning Lieutenant," He greeted. Xena joined B'Elanna and Miral, who had to sit next to Eleanor.

"So we're on for a game of velocity?" B'Elanna asked.

"Yeah."

"I can't believe you got your figure back so fast, I just got mine." Xena grinned.

"Well I suppose this God thing does have its perks." B'Elanna nodded.

"So have you tried anything?" Xena shook her head. I was saving that for the holodecks.

"Ah yes, and I will be the one to see you fail." They laughed.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, B'Elanna encouraging as always."

"Thank you," B'Elanna replied making them laugh. Neelix brought over five bowls filled with a yellow substance that was like syrup.

"Neelix what is this, I asked for oatmeal," B'Elanna told him.

"I know you did Lieutenant and this is it, it took me awhile, but I finally found the old Talaxian recipe."

"Well can you find the Human recipe, this looks like pure glucose." She let it drip from her spoon slowly.

"It is pure glucose."

"Neelix no, humans cannot eat pure sugar," B'Elanna told him. "Its bad for our health." He took it back with a shrug as everyone started to realize what they were eating.

"Oh God thanks Neelix just what I need health issues out here," an Ensign said. Neelix brought out something more appetizing though it wasn't oatmeal.

"Tomorrow I will find the human recipe." They nodded. They ate and at first Eleanor and Leonardo would not touch the food preferring to have chocolate again or even nurse, which Xena and Hercules hadn't indulged their appetite for it however, but finally they relented and began to eat before running off after Naomi, Miral, and Evan for a complete tour of the ship. B'Elanna and Xena went to go play velocity before their shift started in engineering.

"B'Elanna I want you to get started on updating our weapons to match that of the borg."

"Aye Captain, Lieutenant Tudor you're in charge." Xena nodded as B'Elanna hurried out. Xena took over for her to make sure things were running smoothly.

"Lieutenant Tudor, meet Seven of Nine in Astrometrics I want you to two to see if you can find a quicker course through the Delta Quadrant and work on the transwarp drive."

"Yes Captain." She heard the link terminate and turned to Lieutenant Carey who she had surpassed in rank.

"Lieutenant Carey engineering is all yours until B'Elanna and I get back."

"Must you rub it in my face that you took my position?"

"When it comes to you Lieutenant always."

"Harsh Lieutenant, harsh."

"Thanks Lieutenant you always did know how to flatter a girl." She left out. When she arrived in astrometrics, she found Eleanor and Miral in the room. Xena patted both of them on the head before her and Seven began working. Eleanor and Miral climbed up onto the platform watching the screen intently.

"Hmm…this M-Class planet has Dilithium," Xena commented.

"Captain, there's an M-Class planet seven light years from here full of Dilithium. Long range sensors have just picked it up. Lieutenant Tudor has also detected borg ships around the planet."

"Meet me in the briefing room."

"Lieutenant Carey has just informed me there was a strange drop in our Dilithium supplies and then you two detect a planet just loaded with it and surrounded by Borg ships, I don't know about you, isn't it a bit strange?" They all nodded.

"Well whatever caused it we need that Dilithium," B'Elanna told them. "How many Borg ships are we talking?"

"I detected twenty all strategically placed," Xena said going to a screen and showing them. We fly into there we'll be trapped, and we'd have to go out of our way to even get around them, but we're still no guaranteed to miss detection. Seven light years is not very far and they've probably already detected us. I'm guessing from their positioning they knew before we knew."

"Tuvok what do you suggest as tactical officer?"

"Captain it would be useless to go around with so little Dilithium and the chances that we will avoid detection are minimal at best."

"I think if we work fast we can try out the cloaking device."

"What cloaking device?" Kathryn asked.

"Xena and I have been in theory working on a cloaking device."

"We used data I found from the Romulans."

"Found?" Kathryn asked looking at Xena.

"Yes, found," Xena said sticking to her story.

"Well that's good enough for me," Chakotay said.

"Yeah me too," B'Elanna agreed. They had known about it and hadn't told the Captain.

"How do you find data?" Kathryn asked.

"Its like intercepting a message, Captain, it just happens," Seven told her suspecting she hadn't actually found the data. Everyone except Tuvok started to agree that, that was probably how it occurred.

"Lieutenant?"

"That was exactly how it happened Captain, it wasn't too much data, but B'Elanna and I decided to give it a try and if we failed than no one would have their hopes dashed."

"I'm going to let this matter go though I suspect that you didn't find the data as you say."

"Captain there's another M-Class planet point five light years ahead. We can set down there and make the corrections there before proceeding and conserve Dilithium while we do it."

"We'd be sitting ducks, I recommend we come to an all stop in Space and proceed from there."

"Upon reconsidering my first analysis, I concur with Lieutenant Tudor."

"Tom bring Voyager to an all stop, Tuvok I want you to have Security teams in the Delta flyers to watch our backs and warn us ahead of time. Seven take over for B'Elanna in the weapons lab, B'Elanna, Lieutenant get a team and start working on the cloaking device."

"Yes Captain." They all left out.

"Captain do you really think its Q?" Chakotay asked.

"Oh I know it is Chakotay, yesterday we had a very full supply of Dilithium and today we barely have enough to go thirty-five light years."

"Do you think we can get the Dilithium without being detected?"

"Its possible Chakotay, Seven's parents spent years chasing after Borg undetected before their technology malfunctioned."

* * *

"Crewman Tudor, what's your status?" Kathryn asked as she paced on the bridge. Xena herself had put the last piece of technology into place and it had been a week.

"There is a lot of Borg activity, they switch places ever six hours and they're sending out constant long range scans, while they have detected us, they're not pursuing. My guess is that they stand a better chance at catching us in their trap rather than come after us."

"Any sign of Q?"

"No ma'am, if he's here we can't detect him on our sensors." All was silent for a moment. "Captain three Borg ships have created a spatial rift and are entering."

"Captain, Three Borg ships have just exited a rift and our coming up behind us," Harry said checking the scanners.

"Tom!" Tom was already starting the starship.

"Hey beam us back in before you go to warp!" Xena yelled.

"Sorry," Tom told her. "Transporter Room one beam Lieutenant Tudor and team back on board you have three seconds."

"They're all safe Lieutenant." Tom took off and soon B'Elanna and Xena arrived on the bridge just as Captain Janeway was ordering the Delta Flyers to return.

"Excuse me Harry," Xena told him. He nodded and moved. "Captain if we can't risk uncloaking closer to the other Borg ships, perhaps if I reconfigure the transporters I can get the Delta Flyer and its crew into the docking bay."

"Go ahead." Xena nodded. Eleanor and Miral quietly entered the Bridge and sat in Kathryn's seat she nearly sat on them.

"What are you two doing in here?" Kathryn asked erasing all anxiety from her face.

"We command ship," Eleanor told her. Kathryn had to smile.

"The seat is all yours any other time, but not today, why not take over the ready room." Eleanor nodded and got down with Miral following.

"Those two are weird, so quiet," Chakotay commented. Kathryn nodded.

"I have a lock. Engergizing."

"We're in the docking zone," Hercules said over his commbadge."

"Initiating first system," B'Elanna said.

"Initiating second system." From the back forward the ship began to disappear.

"Xena, did you finish putting on the HDF sensors?"

"Your team was supposed to put the Human Dampening Field sensors up."

"On the left side."

"I gave my teams orders in advance, so if we were supposed to do the right it got done." She did something. "Well that's just great."

"What?" Kathryn asked.

"My team was either right in the middle or didn't tighten the bolts, but the moment we went warp they ripped off. Half our crew can be detected and the Borg will fire at the life signs. If they hit our shields we'll be reveal however brief."

"Maybe we can set them up inside on that side of the ship."

"Not a bad idea, simple calculations and we can do that."

"One of you stay here and the other go."

"I'm on it," B'Elanna said rushing out. Xena gave Harry back his station and she took B'Elanna's.

"Why aren't the Borg firing?" Kathryn asked.

"They're driving us towards the others," Xena said as she looked at the screen of the three Borg vessels still following them on their tail. Kathryn looked at the Borg ships.

"Mr. Tuvok full torpedo spread."

"Yes, Captain." They watched modifying the torpedos to match their shield frequency.

"Resistance is futile!" They heard even as one of their ships was destroyed.

"Not in this case," Kathryn muttered as Xena began to activate the sensors, the life signs began to disappear and they broke off their pursuit in confusion. Xena grinned.

"Now to get that Dilithium," Kathryn said to Chakotay who nodded. B'Elanna returned.

"Captain the planet is a trick, Seven just picked up that it is a Demon class planet its all a trick, but we're really low on Dilithium. We'll have to continue on thrusters at some point and hope for a supply. Kathryn nodded.

"Go straight through them Mr. Paris." Tom nodded.

"Warp nine."

"I wouldn't recommend warp nine Captain, Warp Seven if we want to make thirty-five light years." She nodded to Tom who nodded as well and they were gone.

* * *

"I've put out constant scans, and there's nothing Captain."

"Where is Lieutenant Tudor?" Kathryn asked as she sighed and looked at her staff.

"She and Crewman Tudor are currently in the cargo bay one trying to produce as much Dilithium as they possibly can," Tuvok told her.

"They're going to burn themselves out for a few days at this rate," B'Elanna said. "I had better go stop them." Kathryn nodded.

"I'm coming with you." Five minutes later they entered the cargo bay to find that both Hercules and Xena were already tapped out Eleanor, Miral, Evan, and Leonardo were watching them as well as Naomi and Icheb even.

"I need to sit down," Xena said landing on her bottom and putting her head between her legs. She was feeling very queasy at the moment and Hercules followed suit.

"Captain, you'll be happy to know that before they were burnt out they managed to make twenty gallons each before they became weak and together got another fifteen, we now have fifty-five gallons."

"Icheb it looks like more than that is in here."

"Oh I forgot to mention they're huge crystals that are about the size of the containers so I figure it's a gallon though really I can't think in terms of liquid in this case, no telling how many smaller crystals we can cut down from them for our use." Kathryn nodded and held up her hand as she went to a barrel.

"B'Elanna can we cut these down to size."

"Yes Captain we have the technology." She nodded.

"Are you two all right?"

"We'll be fine, I'm feeling better all ready though the use of our powers will be gone for a while."

"You two get some rest, B'Elanna get these cut down."

"Yes, Captain." Xena merely stayed where she was and watched them cut down the crystals in the cargo bay. Eleanor and Miral sat beside her watching intently.

"Girls don't forget you have to make the first cut straight down with the laser on setting .0001 you want a very fine and cut," Xena told them.

"You also have to pay close attention, the cuts are so fine you won't see them until they fall apart and she can't uncut so you have to make sure you don't make the wrong cut," B'Elanna told them as they nodded. When it was all said and done they had enough Dilithium, but eventually they would need more. After they had replenished their supply in the warp corp they retired for the night until their next shift.

"No," Xena told Hercules when he tried to start something more.

"What's wrong Xena, why have you been shunning me its fine now?"

"I know that Hercules, but I can't until Ares has given up his pursuit in hurting the other people on this ship, I'm just on edge, they may as well be Eleanor and Leonardo. As if she had called them they both sat up in their beds. Eleanor climbed out of her crib followed by Leonardo. They pulled on the covers.

"I think you woke them."

"And that's another reason," Xena told him as she lifted Eleanor into the bed and he pulled up their son. Eleanor easily nursed while they both laid down.

"I thought you had weaned yourself this morning," Hercules said to Eleanor.

"No, they both show up for random feedings though they have broadened their diet." Eleanor nursed until she was content to sleep through the night and Leonardo slept while she nursed, but woke up immediately to nurse himself to sleep and satisfy his hunger. Xena had to sit up with him because of his powerful sucking.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"Captain its like we've entered Borg space," Xena told her as they all sat in the meeting room. Eleanor and Miral were currently sitting in the Captain and Commander's chairs on the bridge and giving orders.

"And this isn't Borg Space or at least it wasn't, but with all the cubes around it is now." Kathryn nodded at Seven and Xena.

"I'm concerned about our cloaking system, I don't want it to malfunction especially what keeps the borg from detecting our life forms."

"Over the last few days Xena and a team of engineers have been moving all those particular sensors inside so we don't risk losing those, so even if we're revealed they won't detect our life signs, it'll be an empty ship, they might ignore us completely simply because."

"However we have to be prepared for the possibility that they may try to assimilate our ship anyway for the technology."

"How are weapons can't fight them all off," Neelix told them.

"Neelix stop being so negative," Tom Paris told him.

"Mr. Paris why so enthusiastic?" Kathryn asked.

"Well I was talking with Crewman Tudor and he said that it was possible to make some modifications on the shuttles to be more like the Delta Flyer perhaps even put a smaller cloaking device on all of them. We could than provide Voyager with a little back up in a fight also we could also build a new Delta Flyer as well. We have the room."

"But not the Dilithium," Chakotay pointed out.

"And the shuttles can't go to warp."

"But with the modifications they can."

"Torres what do you think?"

"I think that Tom and Crewman Tudor should prepare a visual and a better idea of the changes. It would give me a better idea of whether or not it could work. However building a second Delta Flyer is possible." Xena stood up and went to the screen as she thought. She pressed some buttons and immediately launched into the changes Tom and Hercules had come up with.

"In theory, they're plans could work."

"How did you know that?" Tom asked.

"Hercules and I share a special connection, we have the ability to share one mind. The link isn't strong, but it will be."

"Like the Borg," Kathryn commented.

"Something like that Captain, we don't have or need neural transceivers its spiritual you could say almost telepathic, but something much deeper. And our thoughts aren't exactly in sync, we have different thoughts."

"Well that must be annoying having someone in your head all the time," Kim joked. Everyone laughed.

"It can be, but I have the choice to block him out like now. He's not too happy."

"Is it possible to spy on people through the other."

"I suppose if I tried hard enough, but the link isn't strong."

"Captain?" Chakotay asked.

"How is your resistance to the Borg?" Kathryn asked.

"I don't know, no Q has ever gotten so close to the borg that they tried to assimilate them." Kathryn nodded. "Have the doctor run some tests on you and Crewman Tudor with Seven's Nano probes I want to see what would happen. If that's all right with you, Seven, and Crewman Tudor."

"I will donate some fresh nanoprobes Captain."

"He has agreed to donate tissue." Kathryn nodded.

"So Captain about the shuttles?" Paris asked.

"Assemble a team to help you make the modifications."

"Thank you Captain, we'll work as long and hard as we have too." She nodded.

"About our weapons Captain," Neelix reminded her. "There's still that issue."

"Captain you don't need to worry, at first Lieutenant Tudor and I began to modify our weapons to be more like the Delta Flyers since in reality the weapons were more advanced on a smaller scale. However as Seven pointed out they would not be enough to stop the Borg. So we went a step further, we've designed and tested a war head to give false information attracting all cubes and spheres towards it bearing our signature we travel away from it. Once the Borg vessels are closing it will emit a burst similar to that of Omega except not even close to harmful as Omega."

"That's a very huge explosion," Kathryn said. "How do we know that it won't do what Omega has done?"

"

Because you cannot create such perfection," Seven answered for them.

"Exactly there's no way to create something that big with our resources. I mean we can recreate its type of damage, but the warhead doesn't have exactly that much power though it could give it a run for its money in damages," Xena continued. They were looking at the warhead on the small screen in the room. Suddenly it got darker and an alarm went off.

"Who called a Red alert?" Kathryn asked they all rushed to the bridge and they heard Miral and Eleanor telling everyone to get to their battle stations.

"Eleanor," Xena said.

"Miral," B'Elanna and Tom said at the same time.

"What do you think you're doing?" They asked. They both pointed to the screen.

"Captain I'm detecting a Borg ship heading straight for us in a collision course, its like it knows where we are," Harry told her from his station. Xena grabbed Eleanor and B'Elanna grabbed Miral.

"Here give me her, get to Engineering," Xena said to B'Elanna who nodded. She put them down and they held onto the railing as they watched the screen in delight.

"How many others are heading towards us?" Kathryn asked.

"None ma'am only that one, the others seem to be oblivious or just waiting to see what happens."

"Tom evasive maneuvers."

"It was like it didn't matter the cube was following them and still on a course heading straight for them.

"I can't shake the cube ma'am."

"Tuvok full spread. If it won't move than we'll blast it."

"Yes Captain."

"I'm remojilating the shields to give a magnet effect and the protons to go right through the shield."

"Firing," Tuvok said when she finished. "Direct hit."

"Captain we took out their weapons, but they're still headed our way, but its like they can't move and we're pushing them back," Tom told her. Kathryn looked at Xena, who was staring at her daughter.

"Eleanor," She said out loud in a no nonsense told. "You are in so much trouble, stop it right now." Eleanor poked out her lip, but the Cube suddenly found itself on an interception course with another cube. They watched the huge explosion as it sent a shock wave that did a little damage, but not a lot.

"What happened?" Kathryn asked.

"Miral was bored, so Eleanor decided that a Borg Cube heading straight our way would be exciting."

"Miral, Eleanor being a crew member on voyager means not putting your fellow crewman in danger on purpose understood. You will report to me for punishment at 0600 hours as your Captain. You will report to your mothers right now for punishment as they are your parents."

"Yes ma'am," They said and Xena led them out followed by Tom as another Pilot took over.

"Can you believe those two?" Chakotay asked.

"Yes, I didn't think about the mischief all the children would get into. We're going to have to set up two rules of punishment depending on the crime. I mean Naomi Wildman has never caused trouble in her life."

"The days of good behavior are over Captain, now is the start of a new era."

"I'm well aware Chakotay."

"Captain I'm detecting Borg on the ship," Harry told her.

"Where?" She asked.

"In Commander Chakotay and Seven's quarters captain."

"Gabriella!" They exclaimed. They hurried out followed by Kathryn even bypassing Xena who was just about to enter her quarters with Eleanor.

"Stay," She told Eleanor before following them. When she entered they were all surrounding a chamber. "Why are you all surrounding a Borg maturation chamber?"

"Gabriella's inside it," Seven told her.

"Hmph so the nanoprobes are attempting to assimilate her, how odd."

"They have assimilated her from the looks of it," Kathryn commented as she looked inside.

"She's grown to be a year old," Seven said heartbroken. "There's a force field around it and she won't let even let me penetrate it. Xena can you?"

"No force field to my knowledge has ever held a Q back so yes, but is it safe to pull the plug, I mean we don't want her to die."

"Yes, I will give you instructions." Xena nodded and easily stepped through as if it weren't there and followed Seven's Instructions to the key. Gabriella was released and taken to Sickbay. They had to deactivate her neural transceiver.

"Is she more Borg or Human?" Seven asked.

"She will need to regenerate, but she is still eighty percent human. She will function as one with cybernetic enhancements," The doctor told them.

"At least she can grow normally," Chakotay said kissing his daughter's hair.

"Eleanor when you get bored it is not okay for you have one our enemies attack us," Xena told her. " I know your immortal sweetheart, but that doesn't give you a right to put everyone else on this ship in danger." She was silent as Eleanor spoke to her with her mind. "I don't care if you had no intention of letting them kill us, what would have happened had you gave them control back? Or worse do you want something to happen to Miral, do you want to live with that for eternity?" Eleanor shook her head and began to cry as Xena watched the images that were now flashing through her mind. She would have to be more careful with their link. "I'm sorry darling mommy didn't mean for you to have that image in your mind." She kissed her cheek and sent her images of anything happy she could possibly think of. She calmed down and wanted to be nursed. She nursed her as Hercules entered with Leonardo.

"All right let's get on with the punishing."

"Don't worry about it I already yelled at her and accidentally punished her in the worse way possible."

"Oh you mistakenly transferred an image didn't you?" Xena nodded.

"I did that to Leo this morning, he didn't like seeing you in…"

"Hercules!" Xena exclaimed.

"I didn't know he was invading until it was too late."

"No more invading without us knowing either of you," Xena told them. They nodded. Before she left Leonardo demanded to be nursed.

"How did you punish Eleanor?" B'Elanna asked. "We spanked Miral, she's still crying and now I feel bad."

"You, I was scolding Eleanor and I said what if something had happened to Miral to really try and make her see the weight her actions could have put on her, but I also made the mistake of thinking my what if and she saw the images in her mind. She's still crying too even though she's a bit calmer. I feel so bad, no child should see that." B'Elanna nodded.

"That's a harsh punishment however accidental."

"Agreed."

"But the link works with your children too." Xena nodded as they worked.

"It's a whole lot stronger too with our kids, but between us we could never dream of transferring a thought so easily."

"When will it be?" B'Elanna asked.

"Whenever we have sex, but with Ares still a threat to Voyager which has become my family over the years especially you, Tom, and Miral I can't get in the mood."

"I know what you mean, but with Miral who can't do that anyway not trying to traumatize the poor girl." Xena nodded.

"I was thinking of using the holodecks, but I'm not sure that's proper use of holodeck priviledges." They both laughed.

"That's a good one," B'Elanna told her.

"I know I've been waiting to tell that one for ages." They laughed some more before they continued on the weapons. They had worked all of last night to finish two warheads.

"You know most likely we're going to end up in a battle," B'Elanna told her as they walked their daughters to Kathryn's ready room at 0600 hours.

"Yes, isn't that how it always works." B'Elanna nodded.

"I was thinking just before Tom jumps to warp nine we grab a shit load of Borg debris."

" We already have a shitload of Borg Debris and its all going to the second Delta Flyer."

"Exactly this shit load could go towards the haul or enhancing weapons."

"Yeah this is true, but we had better confirm with the Captain."

"Yeah the only thing I hate about Starfleet, if the captain won't do it than you've lost an opportunity." Xena nodded as she looked at her daughter.

"Eleanor, Miral don't you dare think about tricking Neelix, you know how jumpy he gets in these situations."

"You can hear Miral too?" B'Elanna asked after giving her a stern look.

"No, not exactly, I hear Eleanor and she and Miral can hear each other because of Elly, so in a sense I'm hearing Miral as well in her mind. By the time I actually make out what Miral is saying in Klingon they've already replied six times."

"Klingon?" B'Elanna asked looking at Miral.

"Seems her and her Daddy as she says have been studying together."

"Tom," B'Elanna growled as they got into the turbo lift.

"We're close friends why don't we have the same connection as Eleanor and Miral."

"I think we do just not the same," Xena told her. "We easily follow each other in engineering as Seven would say we're very efficient together like a Borg collective, but we talk out loud all the time so its natural for it to be weaker." They got off the turbo lift and entered the bridge. Harry was in charge. They nodded to him and pushed the button at the Captain's ready room door.

"Ah Lieutenants' Tudor, Torres, Crewmen Torres-Paris, Tudor," Kathryn greeted.

"Captain," They all said.

"Lieutenants' how did you punish the children?" They told her and she nodded.

"Eleanor don't you have something to say," Xena told her.

"I'm sorry, I not know it bad Aunt Kathy." Eleanor dug her boot into the carpeted floor as she looked down.

"Me sorry too," Miral told her giving her the sad puppy dog eyes.

"Apology accepted, but I still must punish you as your Captain."

"Are you gonna spank us?" Eleanor asked.

"No, you're going to go to the holodeck 1 and spend time cleaning up a lot of safe plasma with old fashion tools that would keep you out of trouble."

"Yes, Captain." They led the girls out and soon they were cleaning plasma as punishment. B'Elanna and Xena supervised them since they were off duty. Xena easily monitored Eleanor as she went over some calculations and in a sense Miral as well. At dinner time the Captain walked in.

"How is it going?" Kathryn asked.

"Very well they're bored and tired, I suspect that from now on this punishment will be met with tantrums." They started crying because they were hungry, tired, and virtually being ignored by their mothers from their perspective. As intelligent as they were, they were still children and young children first and foremost.

"Well at least the tantrum came after," Kathryn said.

"They're not throwing a tantrum Captain, they're tired and hungry I think perhaps this punishment went on for too long for their age." B'Elanna headed over to Miral as Eleanor met Xena half way covered in Plasma. Naturally they were wearing protective suits as part of the program.

"Computer end program," Xena said. The suits disappeared as well as the tools, plasma, and everything else. They were standing again on the holodeck. They just continued as they were rocked and comforted.

"Next time we'll limit them to an hour."

"I think a sufficient time out is best for the early years. I think they got more plasma on them than they did cleaning it," B'Elanna commented. Kathryn nodded.

"Okay Elly let's go get dinner," Xena told her kissing her cheek. The captain followed them out. They entered the mess hall crying.

"I'll get dinner." B'Elanna nodded as she took Eleanor to her dismay. She got the food quickly also getting food for Tom, Leonardo, and Hercules. Eleanor immediately got back in her arms and let Xena feed her. Hercules showed up with no Leonardo.

"Where's Leo?" Xena asked as Tom entered.

"I don't know, I was working with Tom on one of the old flyers when he left out guess he got bored."

"Even I keep tabs on Eleanor when she leaves my side." Xena hit her commbadge. "Computer locate Leonardo Tudor."

_"Leonardo Tudor is in Sickbay." _

"

Go get him." Hercules stood up and left to retrieve his son.

"Men are so irresponsible when it comes to their children I swear."

"Well I'm not irresponsible am I Miral?" Miral merely stuffed her mouth with food ignoring them as one of her hands kept a tight grip on her mother.

"So what's this I hear about you teaching Miral Klingon in secret?" B'Elanna asked.

"I have not been teaching her that in private, did she tell you that?"

"Eleanor," Xena told her.

"What?" They asked.

"Eleanor told Miral to think that Tom was teaching her so you wouldn't get mad at her, B'Elanna. Miral and Eleanor have been accessing Voyager's language database and studying from there." Eleanor looked at Xena who looked back they were having a silent conversation.

"Miral I'm sorry, you don't have to hide anything from me, if you want to learn Klingon that's fine with me its part of who you are and I don't want you to think I hate part of you." B'Elanna left out with Miral as she talked.

"This is the best thing that could have happened."

"Why?" Tom asked eating knowing the issue was between them.

"Maybe now she'll stop fighting herself and become even more at peace."

"You mean your kind of peace."

"No, even after four thousand years I still haven't stopped fighting my dark side."

"Ah the dark side, the one that loves the call of war." Xena nodded.

"It's fortunate my designation, it helps me keep the balance inside. Now I can at least safely let part of her out to keep balance."

"You ever think that you might suffer from Dissociative Personality disorder?" Tom asked.

"Of course, I'm the child of a God there's always something wrong with us that makes us a little odd and out of the ordinary, but its not the same. It's not as simple as being naturally aggressive and quick to fight. It's a matter of coldness of a pounding need to be in charge. If I let her all the way out she would promptly weigh her options and take out the Captain, Chakotay, and Tuvok her biggest threats. She won't worry about the others because she's manipulative. Hercules and I we're so in love she'll let me out long enough to trick him because in the end he's her biggest obstacle because he's a God. And than she will lead this crew to battle."

"With the borg." Xena shook her head no.

"No, she's smarter than that, she knows that concerning the borg we can only do so much in one ship having so many modifications made to it. She'll get us pass the borg and defeat or embrace Ares I was never really quite sure how she felt about him. But whatever she does the borg will disappear and than she will conquer every territory you pass through on your way to earth. Your lives won't matter and neither will your children or her children, she can always have more she'll think, children who aren't just immortals. With that said she might even replace her entire crew with her own children. Then she'll really be on a roll and maybe Starfleet will fall first or the borg, who knows either way she will not only rule the world, but the universe." Tom stared at her in shock.

"I see you've thought about this." Xena shrugged.

"You could say that, but I love my children too much to let her slip out now. I look at them and I let their love reach her too, calm her down." She kissed Eleanor's cheeks who returned it. Hercules entered with Leonardo.

"What was he doing in sickbay?" Xena asked.

"The doctor was teaching him the basics of Opera, he lost track of time since he himself doesn't have to eat."

"Opera, well looks like we have another musical talent in the family." She kissed Leonardo. "Here eat your dinner." Hercules fed Leonardo. B'Elanna and Miral returned from their little talk. Xena nodded to B'Elanna to let her know she had gotten through to her, who smiled at Miral and kissed her cheek again before she began eating.

"You know its amazing how much smarter children are when they're born on a starship," Tom commented they laughed.

"Tom all children are smart, we're only more aware because we connect with our children on a more intimate level because our duties often take us away from them and its crucial we connect," Hercules told him.

"Don't forget through them we actually know what she's thinking, but any doctor will tell you the child mind is quite complex however naïve they may or may not be to the world."

"I concur with B'Elanna, Tom you ever just sit and watch Miral play in the fields in my Ancient Greece program?"

"Sure plenty of times how could I not sit and watch her."

"He's lying, he's always playing in the mud with her." They all laughed.

"Well one day let her explore on her own and watch her face and you'll get a glimpse inside," Xena told him.

"And you'll have a new kind of experience as a father, it's a memory that'll stay with you forever where your daughter is concerned." He rubbed Eleanor's forehead and kissed it. "There is just something about watching your little princess explore the world that's breathtaking." Eleanor smiled at him, as did Xena. The conversation turned more pleasant and Seven joined them with little Gabriella, Chakotay was taking care of some business he had neglected. Gabriella was stunningly beautiful.

"Oh she looks just like Gabrielle," Xena commented, she would never forget that youthful face of her best friend or her radiant strawberry blond hair that lost its light reddish color in the end.

"How can you tell?" Seven asked.

"Seven you'll learn that when you're as close to someone as I was with Gabrielle as you are with Chakotay and Gabriella you'll never forget their face."

"I was away for so long, but never once did her face fade from my mind especially her eyes." Xena smiled. It was a moment to kiss, but they did not knowing they would scar every child on voyager for life and break protocol.

"You know Seven don't think of Gabriella's new physiology as a curse, think of it as an enhancement a boost up in the world," B'Elanna told her. "Believe me when I say Xena and I we understand your concern about Gabriella and that part of you, you fight with everyday being inside her. But she's different."

"I am having an easier time adapting to her new physiology, it is just…" She stopped and looked at Hercules and Tom. Tom laughed.

"Okay I can see we're not wanted here, come on Hercules, Harry and I were going to go play Captain Proton care to join."

"Yeah sure, it'll be nice experience some other holoprograms, I've been too chicken to try anything other than peaceful fields, swing sets, and flounder with Leo." They laughed and the men left.

"I almost forgot about flounder Naomi hasn't said a thing about it in a while," B'Elanna commented. "I have time tomorrow we should all take the girls. They nodded.

"I wish to discuss this in a more private setting." They nodded and finished dinner quickly before taking the children back to Xena's quarters. The children were given baths and put to sleep before they all sat down nursing a glass of apple juice because they could not consume wine yet.

"So what's troubling you?" Xena asked.

"I worry that the Hansen family won't accept me or worse they won't except Gabriella. There's also the concern that Chakotay was Maki, and what about his family how will they accept us?" They knew Seven was concerned of the prejudice her and her daughter would come to face. "They are all the family we have."

"Okay firstly they're not all the family you have," B'Elanna reminded her. "I know we don't always get along, but believe it or not I consider you apart of my family, this entire crew even the ones I still don't particularly get along with. Even after we've all returned I guarantee that most of us will keep in contact." They gave small laughs.

"B'Elanna is right, I consider you and Chakotay family as well and the rest of the crew. And as for the Hansens I told you most can be stubborn, but they love with their hearts. Gabrielle's love lives inside them and you as well as Gabriella. If they took a turn for the worst in their lives than screw them you still have one Aunt who loves you and Ella, you also have us and Chakotay."

"And Chakotay's family?" She asked.

"I can't speak for them Annika, but I can say this if they're anything like Chakotay they'll love you before they even realize it and your past will mean nothing to them. Little Ella will be welcomed just as ceremoniously if not more."

"I hope so."

"They will I mean do you think I don't wonder how my mother is going to accept her granddaughter or Tom, she wanted me to marry a Klingon."

"And you Xena, will your family accept your choice?" Xena nodded.

"They have too Eleanor is Elizabeth's Aunt and Leonardo her Uncle. She has always known of my deep love for Hercules and she's always encouraged me to seek him out. She's all the family I have waiting for me back on earth unless more escaped the tragedy. I am fortunate that my grandchild have always been accepting of any new additions to the family we've had to be close to survive. But you forget my father is not so accepting of the relationship and I know my own mother would have approved as long as I was happy and she had her grandchildren come from my womb or adopted."

"You are fortunate that your survival as a collective depends on how close you are. In the Borg our closeness is through our connected minds and that depends on our survival though there is a lack of emotional attachment." They nodded.

"Yes, well we're your collective now and its crucial we all stick together while we're in the Delta quadrant." They each hugged Seven from the side and she returned it.

"Is this normal?" Seven asked. They laughed.

"Very normal Seven, I think you need a lesson in girlfriends."

"No, I know how to be a girlfriend, I was Chakotay's girlfriend before we married."

"No, not that kind of girlfriend," B'Elanna told her. "Don't get me wrong while that type of girlfriend relationship can exist between two women it does not exist here. For us it just means you're my friend and you're a girl. And girlfriends hug and comfort each other when we really need it though mind you Xena and I don't give hugs often." Seven smiled.

"Than we are compatible because I don't give hugs often either." They all laughed. Gabriella got out of bed without them noticing and walked over as she began to cry. They turned to look at her to see what was wrong.

"Gabriella Hansen you will stop crying and immediately return to the bed and regenerate." Gabriella had to have a mixture of sleeping and actual regenerating in an alcove. Gabriella just continued to cry as she stood there. "Gabriella you will comply and return to your spot on the bed." Gabriella did not comply and held up her arms, but Seven did not pick her up.

"I am confused what is she doing?" Seven asked. She had only been around newborns and the doctor told her motherhood was something you had to learn as you went along. There were no lessons.

"She wants to be held," Xena told her. "Children often wake up and cry to let you know they want to be near you, she's probably hungry too if she's anything like my children after rapid growth."

"Than I should replicate a nutritionary supplement."

"God no breast feed her and give the poor girl real food there are ways to achieve a healthy diet with the same nutrients," B'Elanna told her. Seven picked up Gabriella and held her, but Seven was now so confused on how to truly take care of her now one-year-old daughter that she was not relaxed as usual.

"Annika relax she's still a baby just with better control," Xena told her as the others were awakened by Ella's cries. Miral never one to cry in front of Eleanor merely got down and joined her mother. Eleanor and Leonardo followed her, but went to Xena. Xena put her drink down and pulled them close to her. Seven imitated their behavior with their children and Gabriella calmed down. She sucked on her thumb and soon fell asleep again comforted by her mother's presence.

"See she just wanted you, I bet you've been distant all day." Seven nodded.

"Motherhood is still new to me and now Ella has entered into a completely new stage of life."

"Well we'll help you out if you need it, but really you'll learn as you go along it's a journey motherhood."

"Sometimes I doubt that I will be successful."

"We all have our doubts and we even think should we be the one influencing and nurturing such and a young life that's easily taught. But you when you doubt yourself I want you to take a look at the fine young man Icheb has become since he left the borg. Look at how smart Naomi is, you've been as much a second mother to her as Neelix is a father to her. You nurtured that young mind by challenging her at six to learn several pads just so she could see her dream as Captain's assistant filled."

"Yeah and the Captain has told her in these uncertain times she's thinking about creating the position early. The poor girl has been pouring over pads in anticipation."

"Yesterday she told Evan to leave her alone so she could study, so unlike Naomi." They nodded.

"Our point is you've done a great job with Icheb and you already gained some experience with Naomi." They comforted her and soon they went to bed. Xena put her children to bed before activating the Nanny hologram. Her personal hologram resembled her mother and had all of her characteristics. She left out and took over the nightshift as engineer concerning the Delta Flyer. Tom and Hercules were working nonstop though B'Elanna and her switched off on who worked with them since they wanted to try something slightly different with this Delta Flyer.

"I'm going to have a look at the other Delta Flyer see how the cloaking device construction is holding up." They nodded as she left out. Xena had to make some changes, but all in all B'Elanna had kept a very close eye on the cloaking device for the first flyer. She looked at the model for the second flyer, which was of course slightly different because Tom and Hercules were making the Flyer slightly different.

"How's the cloaking device on the other flyer?" Tom asked when she returned.

"Perfect," Xena answered. "I'm going to head to bed if you need me call me I'll give Hercules the information. Night Tom." Tom nodded. "Goodnight Hercules, I love you."

" I love you too babe, Goodnight." She blew him a kiss, and he caught it before he gave her one of his own.

"You know it helps if you actually kiss your wife," Tom told him.

"Tom if I did that we'd scar everyone in this room for life." Tom looked at him and started laughing.

"That bad."

"That bad, but it'll be that good when Ares leaves us alone for good." Tom nodded.

"Yeah, sounds a lot like the years after you get out of jail before you find a woman who'll put up with your crap." They laughed. "How can you tell though?"

"Tell what?" Hercules asked.

"If she's in the mood. Its real simple with B'Elanna she does something short of attack me."

"Yes, Klingon mating can be quite aggressive. But don't worry Tom neither of us are above sex like the other Q's it's a mortal pleasure that I don't think should be given up. Any way I know she's in the mood because she'll tell me so or I just know."

"What do you mean you just know?"

"I figure if I'm in the mood every time I look at her she must be thinking the same thing at least fifty percent of time under normal circumstances. Now I'm hoping its all the time so that when all this is over I won't have long to wait." Tom laughed.

"Yeah, I bet you she's going to make you wait."

"Why do you say that?" Hercules asked.

"Because I didn't leave the cargo bay," Xena said coming back in and grabbing the pad she had left on a console. I was outside talking to an ensign while you discussed the sign of me showing you I'm in the mood. You know some men would not disclose such information." She left and Hercules hit Tom, but not hard as he laughed.

"You're back early," B'Elanna commented. She was sitting on the couch playing Kal toh by herself when she entered.

"Yeah, they didn't really need me. What are you doing here?"

"Miral wouldn't sleep without her best friend when Eleanor came knocking on our door." Xena looked alarmed.

"Was she okay?" B'Elanna nodded as they looked at their two daughters sleeping peacefully in Eleanor's crib.

"Yes, she was perfectly fine just lonely I guess Leonardo didn't want to talk. They were up for a little while just lying there, I assumed their conversation was in their head so I didn't think much of it."

"You could have slept in the bed rather than remain awake," Xena commented knowing that she was probably trying to wait for them to fall into a deep sleep before removing Miral back to their quarters.

"I fell asleep on the couch, I only just woke up to change Leonardo's diaper since I turned off the hologram since I was going to be in here awhile."

"Well I wouldn't try moving them they'll just protest, Eleanor's still slightly awake even though Miral's gone to sleep." B'Elanna nodded as Xena changed into her pajamas. She was surprised to see her in a sexy silk nightgown. Xena let her hair down and began to brush it.

"I kind of figured only an hour before she looked at me daring me to try and outlast her and take Miral away before morning." Xena laughed.

"Yeah, she's definitely my daughter." B'Elanna laughed a little too as she finished her Kal toh game. Xena kissed both her children even Miral. B'Elanna also did the same and Eleanor put a protective hand over Miral who also put a protective arm over her. Xena took a picture. "Shall we?" B'Elanna nodded and they got into bed and got comfortable.

"Computer lights out." They went to sleep. To Xena's annoyance Hercules did bother her as if she were up. While she didn't need sleep she liked too so she could see her family in her dreams.

_Xena can you go see if something is wrong with B'Elanna she's not answering Tom. _

She's fine, she's right next to me fast asleep. Miral and Eleanor won't sleep in their respective quarters so here we are. Anyway what does he want.

Xena could hear and see Tom very quickly as Hercules told him what she had said. The worried expression on his face disappeared in relief.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

_Xena you awake?_Xena could hear and see Tom clearly as Hercules told him what she had said.

I am now, what is it now? Are you having trouble with the coils?

No, Tom wants to talk to B'Elanna.

She's asleep like I was like you two should be. What does he want?

"Tell her to ask B'Elanna if we're still on for coffee before her shift starts." Xena sighed as she opened her eyes and yawned. She turned to look at B'Elanna in the dark and shook her awake.

"Tom leave me alone," B'Elanna growled making Xena chuckle and startle her awake.

"How did you know it was Tom?" Xena asked.

"What do you mean Tom's not here," B'Elanna said yawning. "What's wrong?"

"Our husbands that's what, Tom couldn't get a hold of you on the commbadge so they decided to wake me. Anyway he wants to know if you're still on for coffee before your shift."

"No, we're on for breakfast with our daughter, I'm going to get my badge."

"Don't worry about it, it's on the table beside you." B'Elanna didn't even turn to look assured that it was there. Xena closed her eyes for a minute. "Tom says okay, he'll be there for breakfast." After that Xena became silent as they both drifted off to sleep. It had only been ten minutes when someone knocked on the door. Xena groaned, but got out of bed before everyone else awoke. She opened the door.

"What can I do for you?" Xena asked and than her eyes went wide when she realized it was the Captain.

"I'm sorry am I interrupting something?" Kathryn asked. She was also dressed for bed. It was still late and most were in bed and no one would see her out of uniform except Xena and B'Elanna if she woke up.

"Just my dreams," Xena answered truthfully.

"I thought you didn't sleep."

"Well there's a difference between having too and wanting too." Kathryn nodded.

"Can we talk?"

"Yeah, sure I'll join you in your room." Xena grabbed her silk robe and tied it around herself before following Kathryn to her quarters. Xena had never been inside and looked around the space that so elegantly described her Captain.

"Coffee?" Kathryn asked.

"No, you drink that this late you'll never get to sleep." Kathryn nodded as she sat down. "So what's on your mind Captain."

"Call me Kathryn in private." Xena nodded. "You have a lifetime of wisdom now, answer me this. Did I make the right decision stranding this crew in the Delta Quadrant, I mean answer me this without saying yes just because you found Hercules and broke the curse." Xena was silent knowing that in the worst of times for Voyager the Captain often displayed more guilt and regret than usual leaving her unsure of her actions.

"Your guilt and regret over your decision is strong when it should be weak," Xena told her. "But I am not the fates. When I think about all the love I see between people and their children I think this would have never happened if we weren't stranded here. True some of the relationships will probably dissolve once we return to earth because the person may feel they settled and in reality everyone has because there aren't billions of other people to choose from. However it is my belief you made the right decision because if you hadn't than I am positive it would not have benefited any one in the end."

"But did I make the right decision."

"Look Captain in situations like the one you were put in, there is no right or wrong in clearly defined black and white. Everything happens for a reason. We got stranded in the Delta Quadrant, but look we got twenty-fourth century technology, learned about the borg and freed thousands of drones including Annika who I thought was lost and Icheb along with Evan and the other three children. We found Hercules who I thought was gone and now my children are going to live. B'Elanna learned to control her temper and love, now she's got Miral. And let's face it the chances were slimmer of Tom and B'Elanna ever getting together if we weren't here what with her being in the Maki and with him in prison. You have so many reasons to be thankful now that you have no reason to regret the decision."

"You really believe that." Xena nodded.

"But I sense now that's not what's really bothering you." Xena was standing now as she pace slightly watching Kathryn.

"I want a child," She blurted out.

"So have one," Xena replied.

"I can't just have one, I want a family with a husband and yet I'm the only one not paired." Xena nodded. "When my fiancé told me he had moved on I was devastated and I lost all hope of ever having a child."

"But your biological clock is ticking and you want to experience motherhood before our journey ends assuming we take forever." Kathryn nodded.

"I can't just have a baby."

"Sure you can, every woman on the ship would understand and we would not think less of you. The men would not think less of you either. At best they'll think you didn't want to be the only one with out a child."

"I don't want to be the only woman without a child."

"Okay than tell the doctor to do it artificially or you know Harry's still single, the Delaney sisters found other interests."

"He's an Ensign I couldn't possibly without showing him favor."

"And Hercules is a crewman and I'm a Lieutenant, so what. What goes on behind closed quarter doors has nothing to do with what goes on, on the bridge. Or at least that will be so after you've gotten pass the first three dates or so and there's usually a period of sex before it stops bubbling over the top all the time and you gain control."

"Yes, but I am Captain and practically all powerful. He'll have an inferiority complex and people will talk if I ever promote him."

"People always talk when a woman is in charge, I guarantee there's talk now about all of us. No one really expects us to stay celibate, I'm sure one of the first questions will be what species did we sleep with. Now unless you want to mate with Neelix, I think getting to know Harry is a whole lot better and worth it. Besides that Tuvok has a wife and he's not straying from her."

"Okay so even if I did ask Harry, what's to say he even likes me I'm his Captain."

"Exactly you're his Captain. Every man will fantasize about a beautiful intelligent woman who is a higher rank than he actually taking interest in him. No matter that he has the potential to have an inferiority complex it's his fantasy. If he can't deal too bad."

"I'll have to give Harry some thought." Xena nodded. "He won't break protocol you know."

"I bet you he will."

"No, he won't."

"Would you care to actually wager that?"

"All right, I'll wager my holodeck privileges for a month in addition to yours."

"And if I lose you can have mine." They shook on it. "And you have to actually go after him Kathryn. No asking and than he says no initially out of shock and disbelief and trust me I'll know."

"Oh fine, but I wouldn't even know where to begin now."

"Well you could work with him in a jefferies tube or something where you'd be alone. Or you could be a Captain and ask him out."

"You're right ask him out." Kathryn looked extremely nervous now.

"Get some sleep Captain you'll want to be pleasant on your first date not cranky." She nodded.

"But wait Ensign Kim is also very much younger than me."

"All the more fun I say, if I wasn't already blessed with love, I would go for the younger oh wait technically that one guy was younger." Kathryn laughed as Xena had hoped. "Count your blessings it's lucky for you Harry Kim does not lack the maturity that we older women tend to find is absent." She nodded. Xena held out her hand and a teacup appeared. "Here, this will help you sleep."

"Thank you," she said accepting it gratefully. She sipped it and her eyes lit up. "Chocolate?" Xena smiled and nodded.

"Goodnight Captain." She left out as Kathryn took another sip before calling out to stop her. Sighing she sat down contemplating Harry Kim and before she knew it Harry was pushed out of mind as she focused on the taste of her drink. It had been so long since she had, had chocolate. Kathryn relaxed and once she had finished to her dismay she went to bed and fell asleep.

* * *

"Harry come here," Xena told him. He looked up from his place near Chakotay as they worked. She waved him over. She pretended to be discussing something else with him. "So have you seen the Captain today?" He shook his head.

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Well she's going to ask you out." Xena covered his mouth quickly before he yelled. Once he had calmed himself after initial reaction he indicated that she could move his hand.

"And why would she do that, she's the Captain, she can't possibly be interested in me of all people, I'm an Ensign I'm younger than her. I mean my God what the hell people will talk."

"Harry listen to me, you're over reacting, I say go for it, you two shouldn't be alone when you have a chance to be together. Besides you're one of the most mature and responsible people I know. You're also very smart and she's smart so you click there. Look all I'm saying is give it a chance you'll be surprised at what can happen when you give it a chance. Just remember never mix business with pleasure because you're going to be in the Delta Quadrant a long time. Now go back over to Chakotay and continue work and don't say a word to anyone. If you do you're going to be very sorry and highly disappointed." He nodded and went back over to Chakotay.

"What was that all about?" Chakotay asked.

"Oh we were just thinking about composing a new symphony for all the children and writing up a curriculum for teaching music."

"Yes, that'll be good for Ella to learn some music. I'm sure the doctor will insist on teaching singing, but of course we'll have to get him to adjust or our children will be bored." They laughed.

"God its so weird being the only one without a child," Harry commented.

"The Captain doesn't have a child," Chakotay pointed out. He knew from the Captain herself what she planned to do before she tried artificially to get pregnant. Harry's body tensed, but Chakotay wasn't looking at him so he didn't say anything.

"Yeah, but she's the Captain."

"Who is a woman, can you imagine being the only woman without a child, it must be devastating."

"Yeah, I suppose that would make a woman sad." Chakotay nodded.

"She spends more time with Miral and Eleanor than their own mothers and is actually creating Naomi's position as Captain's assistant early to compensate. She won't admit it, but she is." Harry was saved from answering as Naomi walked in to deliver two pads to Chakotay and Harry.

"Instructions from Seven I mean Annika," Naomi said before heading over with a third pad to Xena.

"Xena I've reviewed everything and taken the test you provided for me on the holodeck to test my knowledge of the borg language." Xena took the pad and looked it over it also held the results of her test.

"Very good you'll be ready for the job in no time and remember even after you get the job you'll never be in a position where you no longer need to learn." She nodded. Xena pressed some buttons. "Now based on your test results you're now ready for phase two of the borg language." She nodded and took the pad. "I will create a test for you tonight that you may take when you are ready."

"Thank you Xena, is there anything else?"

"Yes, I will drop the pads off in your quarters once I am done here." Naomi smiled and nodded. Naomi skipped out to begin phase two only stopping to talk to her mother and tell her she was already on phase two.

"Good for you Naomi, you'll be the best assistant ever between Xena and Seven."

"Annika mommy." Samantha Wildman nodded before Naomi rushed off.

* * *

"Captain," Harry greeted stiffly when he entered her ready room. All day people were quietly commenting to him about the Captain being lonely and what not or they were like Xena told him straight out he should date her and see how things worked out so they would not be lonely. To say the least the idea didn't bother anybody. Harry personally thought he had a better chance with Samantha Wildman than he did with the Captain, but like Tuvok she had no intention of breaking her husbands trust no matter how far away she was and the odds of her returning home.

"Harry I was thinking that perhaps you and I could go out tonight." They were both surprised how easily she asked. She stared at him for a long moment fearing rejection from the only single male on voyager she was willing to date. That said a lot about her if he refused.

"Look Captain to be honest with you, I think of you as my mother I mean mentor," Harry quickly corrected, but Kathryn had already heard him. "I'm just not interested in you that way, but if you want to have kids that's perfectly fine."

"Get out of my ready room right now." Harry caught the anger in her voice and left very quickly.

"What did you do?" Xena asked seeing that there were no smiles and Kathryn didn't see him to her ready room door. Chakotay was also standing next to her with B'Elanna and Tom. Tuvok was curiously looking on from his position as well.

"I told her that I think of her as a mother to me, but I meant to say mentor and that I didn't see her that way. Than I said if she wanted to have kids I was willing to do that." B'Elanna hit him in the head. "Ow what?"

"Ensign Kim one would say that you're very illogical when it comes to women or stupid." They all nodded in agreement with Tuvok.

"You never tell a woman who's interested in you that you think of them as your mother," Tom told him.

"Harry I gave you more credit than that," Chakotay told him.

"I don't understand what is so wrong with what I said.

"Harry you just told your Captain that you think she's way too old and possibly even disgusted by her because of her age," B'Elanna told her.

"But than you went and contradicted that last bit by adding you wouldn't mind fucking her on a regular basis because in reality she's not your mother," Xena added. Harry groaned.

"Oh no, I have to go fix this."

"No you go back in their you're history. You guys talk sense into him. We'll placate the Captain." They pushed the button and she let them in.

"This is your fought you know," Kathryn told Xena.

"Captain, Harry didn't mean what he said. I mean sure he's not interested, but he didn't mean to call you an old hag, because you're perfectly young with all your beauty in tact."

"You two don't know what old is, we age differently."

"Still I was mortal once too and I was your age. You look as radiant and beautiful as I did."

"You were thirty?" Kathryn asked turning around.

"Yes, I just say I'm twenty-eight and look eighteen to be honest, but my maturity makes me look older. As does yours, your body isn't aging your mind is as you gain experience, often times the experience is so bad and stressful it begins to show on our bodies. You'll see that after everything you've faced in the Delta Quadrant stress on earth will be like a prick on the finger, you'll hardly notice it after the initial shock except when it comes to death or children."

"Xena's right you know, I don't look a day over twenty except when I'm under stress and I am over twenty. Samantha Wildman, doesn't look a day over twenty-five personally."

"And yet I look ninety years old to Harry Kim."

"That's not true, his mother is at least fifty...sixty-one," Xena said.

"Like that's any better," Kathryn said putting her head down on her desk.

"Yes, it is because you do not look seventy-five. In fact not a day over thirty in the entire time I've known you."

"Are you telling me for the pass five years I've looked thirty?"

"No, no of course you looked younger, but we're just saying you haven't aged pass twenty-nine at best and thirty at most," B'Elanna told her. There was a knock.

"Enter," Kathryn said. Harry entered followed by Chakotay and Tom.

"Captain I just wanted to say that you do not look that old to me I just panicked. I am very sorry and if you would let me make it up to you by dinner in Italy I would be honored to be your date." Kathryn just stared at him. "Oh and I didn't mean..." Chakotay stopped him by elbowing him.

"Do you accept Captain?" Chakotay asked. Xena and B'Elanna nodded to her when she looked at him.

"Fine."

"Yes!"

"Thank you Captain, you'll love it." He left out quickly followed by the others.

"I'm stupid," Kathryn told herself.

"All right now let's create Harry and the Captain the perfect date," Xena told B'Elanna. Chakotay had given them time off for this specific reason.

"All right let's see the Captain is really into Leonardo Da Vinci so how about Venice for the setting."

"So are we thinking 16th, 21st, or modern day Venice at night?" Xena asked.

"You know I was thinking as you were talking and how about we start off with a tour of the Vatican after it was finished."

"Great idea than they move on to the Chianti wine region of Tuscany I was thinking of taking Hercules there and than we I mean they can have dinner in Florence. And than lastly they can take a romantic gondola ride in Venice at night with all the lights."

"Perfect end to a perfect evening." They nodded.

"B'Elanna you're a genius."

"No, no you're a genius," B'Elanna told her as they saved the program before leaving after actually creating the program, which didn't take much so they retrieved their daughters and ran a flounder program.

* * *

"I shouldn't be doing this, I feel stupid," Kathryn told them.

"Stop being a baby Kathryn, I'm sure Harry has created an excellent date for you two to go on."

"You should show a little ankle captain," Xena teased. She of course didn't get it not as well versed in twenty-first century humor about the early 20th century as her and B'Elanna as they chuckled.

"Why is that funny?" Kathryn asked. Xena explained.

"Well its just these days women are more modest and barely show any skin and well in the early 20th century women couldn't even show their wrists, and even before that except in the twenties you know showing a little ankle was sexy."

"Oh right I get it." Kathryn was too nervous to laugh.

"Calm down."

"This is stupid, I can't go out with Harry, he thinks of me as a mother."

"Well its up to you to make him look at you like the beautiful thirty year old woman you are."

"I'm forty-one not thirty."

"Wow your old," B'Elanna commented. Xena hit her lightly.

" Oh stop it Kathryn Harry is a grown man age is of little relevance now. He may as well be forty-five himself."

"Forty-one," Kathryn corrected.

"Right well we'll just stick to you being thirty and now he can't talk because you're only two years older."

"Oh he'll never believe that."

"Oh Kathryn live in the century you were born in, this isn't the twentieth century nobody will look down on you believe me." They had to make her open the door for Harry, who escorted her to the holodecks trying their best to ignore people and not run now that they were in the other's company.

"Do you really think this is going to work out?" Chakotay asked Xena as they sat in the mess hall enjoying fine wine.

"To be honest no, he's young when we get back too many people will talk and it will end. She's going to find someone more her age and you know their child or children is going to be blessed with two parents who leaned on each other in lonely times."

"I don't know what if hard feelings arise."

"No, Harry and the Captain will talk about their relationship. Or at least she'll bring it up. At best they'll part on good terms with joint custody of any children. Or if they're both lucky they'll actually fall in love and we can all be super happy for them," B'Elanna told them. Everyone nodded in thought before they went off to their duties or to bed.

* * *

"What do you have for us doctor?" Kathryn asked as Seven of Nine, Xena, and Hercules entered. B'Elanna was with Xena when the doctor called them and came along.

"Well using Seven's Nano probes I let them run wild simply see if they were in fact capable of assimilating Q flesh."

"And?" Xena asked.

"Well I was happy to find that the nano probes had absolutely no effect on your tissue or blood. Your children also cannot be assimilated."

"That's great."

"Yes, and I've managed to create a defense for the rest of us, it'll last up to two years."

"Glad to hear that." He gave everyone the vaccination except Xena and Hercules.

"Doctor do you have enough for the whole crew."

"I will in a few days if Lieutenant Tudor and Crewman Tudor might give me two pints of blood."

"You mean we'll have to keep giving blood and probably even more to help the entire human race."

"No, no the four pints of blood can be easily duplicated with modern technology so that this could be the first and last time you give blood, however I'm not sure if it'll be as effective that part of my experiment I have not yet completed.

"Well let us know what you find out doctor. Possibly even work on a solution for this being a one time vaccination." He nodded. Xena and Hercules gave their blood.

"Harry and I have talked and dated, we're having children when this is all over."

"Good for you." Xena didn't say anything as she drank her wine.

"What's wrong Xena, I thought you'd be excited this was your idea."

"Oh don't mind her mood, she's happy for you, but its been months..."

"Months?" Xena asked looking at her.

"Oh my bad sorry, thousands of years since she's had sex and now that Hercules is back its ten times harder."

"I'm more horny than Tom before he met B'Elanna."

"Oh that's bad because he was pretty horny."

"No, I take that back, I'm more horny than you and Tom at the very beginning of your relationship."

"Oh damn," Kathryn said. "You've got it bad."

"Yes and the worse part is if we go ahead and have sex now that is exactly when Ares will strike, I just know it, I have that kind of luck. If I get any hotter the fire within will be a raging wild fire that no amount of cold water or adrenaline could put out."

"Oh okay why don't you two separate."

"Hercules and I have already switched spots, Miral and Eleanor are definitely pleased about it," B'Elanna told her. "And no one is allowed to kiss in front of them until they do it, because thinking about sex when they can easily share thoughts is bad." Kathryn shook her head.

"You must be suffering."

"You don't even know." They were surprised when the lights flickered before going off. "The ships come to a complete stop."

"Captain to Bridge what's going on?" They got no response.

"The comm link is off."

"B'Elanna and I will get to engineering." Kathryn nodded. They had to use the jefferies tube finding the turbo lift off.

"We're sitting ducks we have to hurry," Xena told B'Elanna.

"Where are the girls?" B'Elanna asked.

"In the mess hall playing a group game of Kadis-kot with Seven of Nine, Naomi, Evan, Icheb, Leonardo, and Gabriella is there."

"Tell Seven to get to astrometrics and to take Eleanor, and Leonardo should get to the bridge so we can have contact."

"Good thinking, but Leonardo can't navigate the jefferies tubes alone."

"Tom was in the mess hall last time I checked is he still there?"

"Yes actually, he can take Lenoardo." Xena was silent and managed to relay the messages. They were entering the jefferies tubes outside of the mess hall on Deck two just as they were entering Deck four. They finally reached engineering.

"The warp core is offline," B'Elanna told Xena as she relayed the message to Leonardo and Eleanor.

"The captain wants to know what's keeping life support and environmental controls on."

"I don't know, nothing is on, the stupid console isn't even working."

"Nothing is working there either." Hercules entered engineering through a jefferies tube.

"Its Ares I know it, he's doing this."

"No really." Suddenly a screen came on. On every available screen they could all watch Borg appearing.

"I'll get to sickbay and help distribute the vaccination." B'Elanna nodded as she ordered people around trying to get things back online especially their weapons and shields. Xena concentrated and disappeared. She reappeared in Sickbay making the doctor jump along with a patient.

"Lieutenant what's going on?" He asked.

"We're not quite sure, its lucky you were on your mobile emitter. But the borg are coming our way, everything is offline, most likely Ares is keeping the life support and environmental controls on." He nodded. "Please tell me the vaccination is ready."

"Yes, of course, I've got enough for the whole crew and the children." Kathryn entered through a jefferies tube.

"Vaccinations doctor quickly."

"I was just giving them to Lieutenant Tudor." They put on two black vests full of vials. The doctor also had his own vest. He injected the patient and gave him a phaser. They left. Xena transported to the bridge. Everyone jumped.

"Sorry, anyway the doctor has created a long term solution to assimilation." They all let her inject them while watching the screen. Xena kissed Leonardo before disappearing. Next she went to the mess hall. The doctor was covering the lowest decks, the captain in the middle and Xena from the top.

"Lieutenant, what's wrong?" Neelix asked.

"Borg, Ares has stopped us, right now everyone needs to get injected so that they cannot be assimilated if the Borg boards, we have more of a fighting chance even if we can't get everything working again." They nodded and let her do it, though she had a little trouble with Miral. She moved to Deck three, than four before she was back in sickbay. She helped Kathryn on Deck six until she ran out. They had to go back to help the doctor to cover everyone.

"Did you tell everyone to get to their positions and for all the children to get to the mess hall?" Kathryn asked. Xena shook her head, but disappeared.

"Okay we're good," Xena said appearing again. "Every child except Eleanor and Miral are in the Mess hall." Xena went back to sickbay after Kathryn went back to the bridge.

"Its like everything is frozen, I mean nothing is working except the tricorders and a hyperspanner. "

"Let's start with the engines than."

"Leonardo tell your mother to call a meeting with the senior staff," Kathryn ordered. Leonardo nodded his head and closed his eyes.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

"Are you sure Tuvok?" Kathryn asked.

"Yes, Captain. Lieutenants Tudor and Torres, Seven, Ensign Vorik, and Crewman Tudor are the only other members of the crew with superior strength, Captain."

"Plus Lieutenant Carey can handle engineering and you've got Harry on the bridge, and Tom."

"Hercules and I can transport everyone back if needed, we just need to buy time for us to get the engines back online."

"All right, but please try and stay alive." They nodded. They suited up and carried two phasers plus a phaser rifle.

"Ready?" Hercules asked. They nodded and transported onto the cube tractor beaming the ship. Xena and Seven quickly went to the consoles attempting to shut down borg shields and the tractor beam. Naturally they adapted, but they compensated long enough for Voyager to be let go, however they were still dead in the water. The borg were now engaging them in a fight.

"You have this?" Xena asked. Seven nodded. Xena and Hercules easily got through the shields with their weapons.

"I've caused the borg cube to self-destruct, we have to get out of here."

"Grab hold of us," Hercules told them. Everyone moved in close to them.

"Head to another cube." Hercules nodded. Unfortunately they went to different cubes, but he and Tuvok joined them immediately.

"We gotta work on our communication skills." He nodded They sabotaged every borg ship until there were no more.

"We have to get out of here before more ships come just on the pretense of salvaging borg parts," Kathryn told them. They nodded. "Where is Xena and Hercules?"

"The continuum Captain, they should be in contact with us shortly," Tuvok told her. She nodded as they all sat around the senior staff room just waiting.

"What did you do to the ship Ares?" Hercules asked.

"Nothing the borg couldn't catch, nice way avoiding the initial attacks by the way, but you're dead in the water now."

"Bastard, why can't you just let it go."

"I am the God of war!" He roared. "No one chooses anyone over me."

"Enough!" Zeus's voice boomed. "I have had enough of this!"

"Undo what you did to that ship Ares, now!" The force of Zeus's voice sent Ares flying through a wall. "Now Xena and Hercules have a mission and I won't have you keeping them from returning to earth." Ares said nothing as he raised his hand. "Xena, Hercules return to your ship."

"Would it have been to much to ask to let us at least have a battle?" Ares asked.

"Thanks Dad," Hercules told him.

"Yes, thank you Zeus."

"You're welcome now go, more borg are coming and salvage some transwarp coils while you're there." They nodded and disappeared.

"Well?" They all asked.

"Everything should..." Everything came back online and they cheered.

"We've been advised to salvage as many transwarp coils as possible before more borg arrive." Kathryn nodded. They worked quickly to salvage anything they could to use transwarp before they were off on warp nine.

"Here I brought you guys all a late night snack," Neelix told them coming into cargo bay two. B'Elanna, Seven, and Xena were all scanning parts and occasionally adding them to a structure.

"Thanks Neelix," Xena told him. They were at it for two days straight before the doctor came in scanning them.

"Seven your neutral patterns are degrading you need to regenerate, and B'Elanna you also would benefit from sleeping." Xena naturally didn't need sleep.

"Go a head get some rest, I'll keep working."

"Just to be safe I would have you asleep as well so as not to tempt the others or yourself just yet."

"Hear you loud and clear doc." He nodded and sent them off to bed.

"So, Lieutenant Tudor, isn't the captain's chair invigorating on the night shift?" Harry asked grinning from ear to ear. Xena returned the grin, but she was a little angry. It had been someone's cruel joke to sign her up for the nightshift after she had laid out all her plans and saved up their holodeck time, which wasn't much when the children wanted to play with flounder all the time.

"Great Harry just great." She sat back a little. "Icheb how are long range scans going in astrometrics?"

"I've located several M-class planets we could rest and work on."

"Good job Icheb, how many light years?"

"Thirty-two, we should reach them by 0600 hours."

"Great a whole hour before we get to see bright skies for a few days and than we'll be home," Harry commented happily. Xena nodded.

"What are short range sensors telling you?"

"Nothing all is clear." An alarm went off. "A ship just appeared off our stern. I don't see any weapons."

"Hail them," Xena ordered the night pilot.

"They're already hailing us," Harry told her. She sat up straight.

"On screen."

"Captain?" There was a little girl on the view screen of Norcadian species. My have you changed."

"I'm not the Captain I'm Lieutenant Tudor Mezoti, and what do you think you're doing flying a ship on your own with no supervision."

"Oh Lieutenant Tudor!" Mezoti exclaimed. A smile broke out onto her face as Azan and Rebi appeared in the view screen.

"Mezoti, Azan, and Rebi you have a lot of explaining to do, prepare for transport immediately," Xena told them.

"Yes ma'am." They looked down.

"Harry transporter room 1 and tracker beam their ship. Erect a biocontainment field to be safe."

"Yes Lieutenant." She hit her commbadge.

"Captain, Commander, and Annika please report to transporter room 1 immediately." She got into the turbo lift. "Deck four." She arrived in the transporter room first and immediately looked them over for any outward infections or such. "Are you three sick?"

"No ma'am."

"Is there anything I should know?"

"We just wanted to come back is all, we missed you and your stories, and Seven as our mother and teacher. And Icheb," Mezoti told her. Xena smoothed her hair.

"So you stole a ship to get back to us?" They nodded.

"They'll be looking for you no doubt." They shook their heads again.

"We made them thing the borg had us, pretty clever using their own holographic material against them," Rebi told her proudly. Xena shook her head at them.

"It didn't feel like home, Voyager is our home."

"I'm afraid its not me who you need to plead your case too, but the Captain." At that moment the doors opened and Xena took a step back.

"Seven!" They exclaimed and tried to go to her but the biofield was in the way.

"A necessary precaution, however, the bigger problem is that the children had second thoughts about staying with the Wystani people. It seems that they want Seven as their mother and teacher again, and for Voyager to be their home."

"Please Captain we miss it here, and we're sorry for coming like this, but the adults wouldn't let us. So we faked our second assimilation." Seven was silent as her heart rejoiced, if she thought she had missed them when they left, she was more than happy they wanted to return.

"Captain perhaps in light of the situation you will consider letting them stay on with us." Kathryn was silent.

"Yes, I quite agree captain."

"Azan, Rebi, and Mezoti all three of you will send a letter of apology back to the Wystani people immediately, however, if Lieutenant Tudor and Seven I mean Annika will see to your upbringing you may stay." The biofield was lifted and they ran to Xena and Seven already thanking them. "I'll take over the bridge Lieutenant Tudor." Xena nodded.

"Icheb found several M-class planets we could settle on until we're done." Kathryn nodded.

"Noted."

"I'll join you on the bridge," Chakotay told Kathryn. She nodded and they all left.

"What's changed?" Mezoti asked.

"Everything is now child proof," Seven answered. "You all must need to rejuvenate I will take you to the cargo bay. But soon you will be given quarters to share. The cargo bay isn't a place for children to sleep."

"But won't you be lonely seven?" Mezoti asked.

"There have been a lot of changes in the pass few years guys, please let's get to the cargo bay before we explain." They nodded. Once inside the cargo bay they noticed that her alcove wasn't as active." Because she didn't regenerate as often it was not on all the time using energy.

"You haven't been regenerating often?" Azan asked.

"Children sit, I have a story to tell you." They surrounded Xena immediately like chickens to their feed. She informed them of the changes in herself and seven, but most importantly was all the additions to the crew.

"Curious so many children," Rebi commented as they entered the Mess hall. They were all greeted warmly. Naomi insisted they all get together for a game of kadis-kot and introduced them to her brother Evan.

"This is Leonardo and Eleanor, and my husband Hercules." They were in awe of Hercules, he had only been a human myth before, but now he was in the flesh in front of them.

"Things are very busy around here, so Icheb will be taking over your lessons for awhile, we're close to figuring out a way home," Seven told them. They nodded. You will take your lessons in the holodeck today, Naomi and Evan Wildman will be joining you on holodeck one."

"What about the babies?" Mezoti asked dying to go touch one.

"The babies will be occupied on holodeck two, Mezoti, now please off you go." They nodded and left. Soon all the babies were on holodeck two.

"Take her down Tom." They had picked a suitable planet with lots of coverage and no species."

"Neelix where are you taking the children?" Kathryn asked. She was supervising groups.

"The children and I are going to go start a garden, we're going to be here for awhile and Seven thought it would do them some good to learn a thing or two about gardening. And we'll have more fresh vegetables and fruits, and we also need to gather edible things perhaps we could duplicate.

"Neelix come and have a look I found some fruit."

"Gotta go Captain." He hurried off.

"You approved of gardening?"

"It'll keep them out of my hair," Seven told her walking by with Icheb. Xena directed her group of crewman engineers around.

"How's the transwarp coming?"

"I've agreed that I will make test runs with Tom and Hercules, but just around the planet. Transwarp is meant for long distance travel however test runs are better made using short distances, we should basically be there and back in a blink of an eye if all goes well. Once that's done, we're hoping to get a transwarp drive up and running on voyager. A short distance for Voyager would be three thousand light years. I've already got Icheb set for scanning for another M-class planet assuming we get that far, but something goes wrong."

"Good."

"Ah Lieutenant there you are, you haven't looked at my plans." Xena tried to leave but he had already caught up and it was no use.

"What's all this about doctor?"

"Well since we were setting down and making improvements considering the additions to our ship, and our need to get back home. I came up with improvements for sickbay using some left over borg technology."

"Doctor I am an engineer not an interior designer," Xena sighed.

"Yes, well B'Elanna won't do it and you're the only other person besides Seven and she has her hands full."

"And I don't?"

"I trust you." Xena sighed and snatched the pad before scanning through it. "Well what do you think?"

"Its doable once we've got everything else set up and working. You'll have to wait though Doctor I'm quite busy." He sighed.

"All right very well than. If its okay with you captain when the Lieutenant can I'd like these changes to happen immediately." Kathryn looked at the plans.

"Go right ahead doctor. Its nice to see a little more change around here."

"Icheb is efficiently working with the others on the drives," Seven told B'Elanna and Xena as they spread out the blue prints.

"Come here." Xena said outloud. Seven moved closer to her and she touched her forehead. Seven heard B'Elanna speaking with her. "Nice trick huh, and your thoughts are you own as long as you don't direct them at us and its temporary." Seven nodded.

_Could you do one on Icheb this way we can efficiently keep an eye on things. _

_Sure. B'Elanna will catch you up._

* * *

"You want to dismantle the ship?" Kathryn asked in the briefing room.

"Well not dismantle not completely," B'Elanna said.

"Let's not use the word dismantle it's not a fun word, let's just say we want to take it apart just like a child might take apart their flying car," Xena said. "Okay bad example, but still."

"The thing is Captain its getting quite crowded around here. And I don't think a cargo bay is hardly fitting for children." Kathryn nodded.

"They have a point sometimes I don't even see them," Chakotay put in.

"Captain I've been working with them in my spare time, and it is do able."

"What exactly is the plan Mr. Kim?" Tuvok asked.

"If you all turn your eyes to the center of the table," Seven said putting down a round piece of technology, B'Elanna's recent invention. B'Elanna pressed some buttons. And a model appeared. Voyager looked the same, but with more room and more weapons.

"There's not much change except durable haul, more weapons at our disposal, a few more cargo bays, larger mess hall, and more quarters for the crew. Right now we have lower crewman sharing quarters even if they are married and children doubling up in beds. Its over crowded. Not as great if you married a senior officer you know." Kathryn nodded.

"The improvement to all crew quarters including our own shows multiple rooms. Now everyone has their own room, I don't recommend anymore than one more child per couple even the ones like me that have twins. We also have planned for an actual airponics bay better than the one we have. The science lab is directly next to sick bay for the doctor's easy use. However he's also asked for some changes to be made in sickbay. He hopes to create more up to date equipment so to speak. And after further reviewing we can do so with the leftover borg technology.

"We could be unprotected if the borg attack."

"We have also noted that. We have created a field that will mask our technology, borg do not assimilate any civilization they feel to be primitive. They will pass right over us."

"How do we know that Ares isn't still pulling any strings behind the scenes now."

"We don't, however once we have all of our Delta Flyers up and running you'll fine Tuvok that their tactical situation could destroy more than a dozen borg cubes keeping us safe. And actually with all this borg technology we're putting on the ship they may even just mistake us for one of them.

"Really?" Chakotay asked. Xena shook her head.

"No, not really," Xena said truthfully. "However these are the improvements to the sickbay. Every biobed is a surgical table and will be controlled by a central console and a back up console in his office. However instead of six biobeds with the extra room there's twelve. And we're keeping the central surgical bed however it is great superior to all the others which could handle minor surgery."

"The doctor also asked for an upgrade to our tricorders. Xena has a prototype."

"Doctor have you tested it?" Kathryn asked.

"Yes, Captain, and I must say they work very well, even more detailed readings."

"With your permission Captain we'd like to make a slightly more permanent looking structures, we don't recommend anyone on the ship unless they are managing the scanners, weapons, or holodecks."

"All right, let's do it." They nodded pleased. "But first I want to make sure we're all well protected.

"Yes Captain."

* * *

"Ready?" Xena asked Seven, B'Elanna, and Tuvok through the comm system.

"Yes," They chorused. Xena and Tom were up in the Delta Flyer.

"All right Tom launch the Pod." He launched a silver ball. It gave the appearance of protecting a primitive people as if some outside source had protected them. It connected with three pieces of technology on the ground. Once it was up and running they prepared to do a test run of the Delta Flyer. Things went smoothly. They traveled to one end to another and than they were authorized a few days later along with other flyers to go out of orbit of the planet.

"Wow away missions won't take so long now." Xena nodded as she grinned. "This was worth the slight chance we might warp into reptiles."

"No kidding, would you like the honor of driving back."

"Do you even have to ask?" This particular Delta Flyer had controls belonging to a twenty-first century jet airplane, personally it was for her. In her time she had been a pilot among other things. Tom moved and they coordinated the test flight back.

"How did it go?" Kathryn asked. Xena noted she looked a little sick.

"Great, Captain, I'd say that the Delta Flyers are more than ready for action."

"Good, now let's see to it that Voyager is ready." They nodded. Tom left Kathryn's home.

"So Captain."

"You can stop being formal." Xena relaxed her stance.

"Kathryn, have you been to see the doctor today at all."

"Too afraid." Xena was slightly surprised she wasn't avoiding her probing question.

"Afraid?" Xena asked. "Now why would you be afraid?"

"If you must pry, I'm afraid that he'll say I'm just sick."

"Ah I see."

"Do you know some ancient home remedy?"

"Um...the only one I can think of that is even remotely successful would be peeing on wheat and barley over the course of several days."

"And how does that give me results?" Kathryn asked seriously considering it.

"Well, the idea is if either grows your pregnant. If the wheat grows you're having a girl and if the barley grows your having a boy."

"And how accurate is the gender identifying of this test?"

"Not very, but the real point is to let you know if you're pregnant. But the best method without going to the doctor is to watch for signs of pregnancy. How long have you been feeling sick?"

"Since we got here."

"Harry know?"

"No, and he doesn't need too we're not together, the sperm is from a secret donor." Xena's jaw dropped.

"Where the hell have I been that I missed this. I bet people have been gossiping about it right under my nose. All the things I've missed man..."

"No one knows, we're keeping up appearances." Xena brought her attention back to her Captain.

"Right of course." Xena looked down and rocked back and forth.

"Go ahead," Kathryn sighed. Xena grinned.

"Right now back to you come lay down over here let me have a look at you." Kathryn complied knowing Xena's mother was a midwife and she had been taught the craft. She took off her jacket and Xena felt her stomach after pulling up her shirt. Xena asked her about other symptoms that might have come about.

"What's your prognosis?" Kathryn asked.

"Crackers in the morning and rise slowly, that way you won't get terrible nausea and vomiting, if your lucky in two months you'll be rid of the worst part of the morning sickness, though it'll still be around. Still I really think you need to head to the doctor and be sure about it. Though your body does show signs of change." Kathryn nodded.

"Can you at least let me get to the doctor and back before you go blabbing."

"You're got thirty seconds, and I started counting when you finished talking." Kathryn sighed and hurried to the doctor.

"What are you just bursting to tell?" Hercules asked Xena when she walked over.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Yeah, when someone gives you permission to tell something, but you know they don't really want it out there. You try and hold it in."

"Interesting to know about myself."

"I hate to tell you this, but you my dear are a complete gossip nowadays."

"I know and its terrible."

"Yeah, but the important thing is you don't tell anything super important if they tell you in confidence."

"Maybe, so are you ready for tomorrow?"

"What's tomorrow?" Hercules asked.

"Well since the Delta Flyers are running everyone's been promised a week of complete and total rest before we start on Voyager they're even taking turns on the holodeck and some are going down to the coast for a swim and camp out at the beach."

"So are we taking the kids to the beach?"

"Just the first day, because it's a first, but that night we're going away."

"Going away where?" Hercules asked. "There's no where to go." Xena sighed and rolled her eyes.

"I'm going to let you think on it." Xena got close to him on purpose and touched his face as she walked off.

"You're a terrible tease you know that?"

"Always," Xena called back

* * *

"Mommy!" Eleanor squealed in delight as the water touched her feet as Xena dipped her feet. Xena chuckled.

"Ready to go back in." Eleanor nodded her head vigorously as she looked down and Xena lowered her as the tide came back. She squealed in delight again and Xena let her wiggle her toes in the sand as she watched a smile appear on Leonardo's face and heard Miral's own squeal of delight. Xena lifted Eleanor up again.

"Mommy down."

"Are you ready to go a little farther in the water?" Eleanor nodded her head eager to swim like the older children.

"Ah lovely day isn't it?" The Doctor asked. Everyone nodded. Xena walked in slowly letting the water rise. No matter how Eleanor began to protest and finally she was holding her so Eleanor was up to her waist in water. Xena taught her how to hold her breath and hold onto her as she swam a little farther out. Leonardo absolutely shrieked and didn't want Hercules to take him in.

"Hercules just bring him in, he'll get use to it," Xena told him as Hercules stepped into the water again this time ignoring his cries and finally when they reached Xena he calmed down clinging to her hoping she would take him back to shore, but she didn't.

"Its okay Leo you're going to be perfectly fine." That night they waited until after the camp fire and for the children to fall asleep before they stuck off.

"Have fun," B'Elanna giggled.

"Shut up," Xena told her before she disappeared and Hercules followed shaking his head at a chuckling Tom and B'Elanna.

"What's this place?" Hercules asked.

"The Continuum, Aphrodite made it, isn't it nice?"

"Very."

"Here we can be as loud as we need too." Hercules grinned.

"No worries?"

"None, we won't be alerted about in time. Aphrodite is keeping a good eye on things." She grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him to her. They kissed. The fire that ignited on their lips and than spread like wild fire made them radiate heat. Hercules pulled back.

"Let's never not have sex again."

"Agreed," Xena whispered. Her lips were already swollen from their kiss. She reluctantly pulled away. "You stay here while I get into something much more comfortable."

"Sounds like a great idea, I'll get naked." Xena chuckled and hurried out of the room. She opened a door to find Aphrodite and Cupid inside.

"I thought I heard a pair of wings moving."

"Cupid," Aphrodite scolded.

"Out," Xena said. "If there's one thing that lessens the experience of sex is knowing some one is deliberately listening to you."

"Yes, but you two are such virgins when it comes to God sex, what if something goes wrong," Aphrodite pouted.

"Like what, he's got the stamina of Zeus. We'll be fine just go." Xena turned to head back to Hercules.

"True, true, but what if he puts it in the wrong hole?" Xena stopped abruptly almost tripping herself before she turned back around with a slightly scared but puzzled look on her face.

"Um...I have to ask and I'm sure I might regret it, but what do you mean wrong hole?"

"I'm just saying its very easy for a God especially a new god to get carried away and get you in the ear, and because he's a God it'll work out for him." Xena's eyes went wide as she held her ears. "Or if he just can't find a hole like almost immediately he can make a new one appear and he'd never know the difference." Xena made a frightened noise that sounded faintly like what but neither Aphrodite, nor Cupid could tell. The look on her face was priceless as he mouth hung open.

"She's just lying to you Xena, she just wants to stay," Xena told herself until she had buried the shock.

"I'm not lying..."

"Yes, you are, so bye both of you." Cupid started laughing.

"Didn't really want to listen anyway," Cupid chuckled. He left and it took her a little longer to get Aphrodite out and seal the temple. She went back to their room and was naked by the time she came through the door. She looked around when he wasn't in bed and bumped right into him when she turned to look behind her. The feeling of bare skin against bare skin was enough to bring anyone to climax. He took out her hair clip and she shook out her hair. They kissed gently and Xena immediately forgot about what Aphrodite had said, the idea that would happen was ridiculous until she felt something going for her hair.

"What the fuck!" Xena yelled. The fire suddenly lit lighting the room up so they could see each other.

"What?" Hercules asked.

"Did you just try and fuck my ear?" Xena asked in disbelief holding her ear. Hercules made a face.

"No, I couldn't get it in if I did."

"Than what was trying to get in my ear, it didn't feel like a finger. Though why you would try and give me a wet willy if that was a finger is mind boggling because its not sexy."

"Relax, I don't know what it was, you probably just imagined it. Its been awhile we're both about to be shy about this."

"Nothing to do with shyness." She calmed down and they got back to making out with the fire going to make sure everything was visible and she meant everything. They were able to make love without anymore incidents.

"Ah!"

"Xena."

"Hercules."

"You're so beautiful," Hercules whispered into her ear as he breathed on her ear and down her neck before kissing her. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"So you'd like me better as a Klingon?" Xena asked as she left bite marks on him. Their thoughts were flowing freely between them, but they took extra care that children could not see through their eyes or their thoughts. "Well show me that you like what I'm doing to you just like a klingon." Hercules got a little more aggressive as did she drawing blood on his cheek.

* * *

"Lieutenant I simply can't understand how you got splinters under all of your fingernails," The doctor told her the next morning. "Its like you were scratching a tree."

"More like a table," Xena whispered.

"What was that?" the Doctor asked.

"Nothing doctor, nothing at all." He removed them all without any problems.

* * *

"Marble Lieutenant really?" the Doctor asked.

"I don't know it was so weird, I just woke up and you know marble under nails and I just couldn't get it out."

"Really you'll need to try and get control of your powers what if they become a danger?"

"Oh I'll definitely get control soon doctor, I promise."

"Lieutenant you have metal under your nails!"

"I know, I know. I'm getting better honest no need to tell anyone."

"All right, but I'd like to see some improvement."

* * *

"All right Lieutenant now this has gone far enough if you were human, you would be dead. Plasma under the nails." Hercules snickered and the doctor turned on him. "And I don't know what you're snickering about as if you've been any better. Frankly I must report this to the Captain."

"No, no wait I promise, this won't happen again truly, I promise."

"If you come in here one more time either of you I'll be forced to tell."

"Yes, Doctor." They left out giggling to begin their first day back to work.


End file.
